By Marc Nezet, Chief Strategy Officer, Nemetschek Group
The Execution Gap
India’s path to Net Zero hinges on a critical but often overlooked variable: execution efficiency. While construction and infrastructure account for 34% of global CO₂ emissions, project delays averaging 34–38 months in India compounds this impact. By integrating digital engineering and “Execution Intelligence”, infrastructure projects in India can systematically identify and reduce construction‑related emissions and resource use along defined lifecycle stages.
The Hidden Carbon Cost of Project Delays
Infrastructure and climate policy are often viewed as parallel tracks. However, in practice, they are a single ecosystem. In India, inefficient delivery doesn’t just drain budgets; it also leads to higher material use and additional greenhouse gas emissions over the full project lifecycle.
Shifting from Reporting to Design: The Digital Pathway
In many Indian sectors, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) metrics are treated as “after-the-fact” reporting rather than design inputs. To meet India’s 2070 Net Zero targets, sustainability must be “baked in” from day one.
Evidence from digitally enabled AEC/O (Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations) projects suggests that a lifecycle‑based digital approach can deliver substantial performance improvements compared with conventional project delivery methods:
The Power of Digital Twins and OPEN BIM
Technologies like Digital Twins allow planners to simulate performance under climate stress such as extreme heat or floods before a single brick is laid. This enables resilience‑by‑design and can reduce the need for later retrofits that often involve additional materials, costs, and emissions.
“Climate resilience in India is no longer just about what we build, but how we build it.”
Execution as a Climate Necessity
Integrating execution intelligence into infrastructure delivery is no longer just a technical upgrade; it is a climate necessity. For India to succeed in its long-term climate targets, the industry must adopt digital workflows as an institutional norm rather than a pilot scheme.
