Amid rapid urbanization, with India’s urban population projected to soar to 843 million by 2050, a report by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) and Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) proposes strategies to reduce up to 8 gigatons (Gt) of carbon emissions from buildings. Released at the “Heat Resilient and Low Carbon Housing in India” event, the report, titled Build Right for the First Time: Scaling Adoption of Net-Zero Carbon Buildings in India, advocates low-carbon, climate-resilient infrastructure to meet India’s net-zero target by 2070.
The report offers a clear definition for net-zero carbon buildings and highlights five key decarbonization strategies. Implementing these could incur a modest cost premium of INR 4,566/m² compared to traditional methods, paving the way for a sustainable urban future.
Ms. Akshima Ghate, Managing Director of RMI India, remarked, “India stands at a critical juncture, where aligning urban growth with climate goals is both a challenge and an opportunity.”
Dr. Debolina Kundu, Director of NIUA, emphasized, “India’s urban trajectory presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape a low-carbon, heat-resilient future.”
Key stakeholders, including Johnson Controls-Hitachi, advocated for innovation-driven adoption of sustainable cooling technologies. Dr. Shailesh Agrawal of BMTPC encouraged the use of green materials, while Ms. Mrinalini Shrivastava of NDMA proposed an urban heat mitigation lab as a knowledge hub.
This convening reinforced the collective responsibility of policymakers and industry leaders to drive decarbonization across India’s housing sector.
