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Is India’s Real Estate Sector Aiding Net-Zero?

Sonal Desai


Is the real estate segment taking pole position in augmenting India’s net-zero journey?

LEED Certified Buildings Increasing in India: What does this mean for the construction industry and the impact on the environment?

According to UNEP, the buildings and construction sector, responsible for 37% of global emissions and 34% of energy demand, is the largest greenhouse gas emitter.

Green buildings promote sustainable, resource-efficient construction and use throughout a building’s life cycle, aiming to reduce environmental impact through efficient water, energy, and material use.

Researchers are exploring technological improvements to reduce carbon footprint, with the most significant environmental impact being pollution from fossil fuel consumption.

India is currently the fourth largest market for LEED, with over 2.6 million square feet of space certified using LEED. With 40% of Indians expected to reside in urban areas by 2030, the entire value chain of the Indian real estate industry must collectively adopt sustainable development practices.

Some developments prove a point.
  • India has achieved 3rd position in the 2023 LEED certification rankings, solidifying its position as a global leader in sustainable development and resource-efficient buildings.

    With this, the country has completed 248 projects covering over 77 million square feet, showcasing its growing environmental consciousness and commitment to sustainable development.

    India ranks second in the U.S. Green Building Council’s Top 10 Countries and Regions for LEED certification in 2022, with 323 projects awarded certification, covering over 10.47 million GSM of space. India’s ranking is a result of its growing adoption of LEED to reduce emissions and support citizen health. Green Business Certification Inc. administers LEED certifications in India.

  • The GRIHA Council, a not-for-profit organization, promotes green buildings in India. The council has certified more than 80 buildings as green to date. Despite less than 2% of buildings being green, 60% of infrastructure is expected to be unbuilt within the next 20 years, presenting significant development opportunities.
  • Conscious buyers and investors force developers to obtain LEED/GRIHA certifications. These lend credibility to a green project.
  • Additionally, strict compliance laws and international competition are also forcing the developer community to obtain green credits.

    The Indian government has recognized the importance of sustainability in the real estate sector, introducing regulations and initiatives like GRIHA and LEED to encourage sustainable building practices.

    LEED certification in India offers a pathway to sustainable construction, offering benefits such as energy savings, water conservation, and a greener future for the nation. Prefabrication, a technology that reduces carbon emissions, time, costs, and construction waste, is becoming increasingly popular in India.

But do LEED and GRIHA certifications guarantee sustainable practices?

Critics argue that LEED certification is often criticized for its lack of sustainability and focus on design over performance.

For example, buildings are required to report energy and water usage, but it’s unclear if they are saving energy. Regular meetings can help ensure proper resource use. As LEED status increases, businesses may seek its approval, leading to increased incentives and blindly following its requirements without questioning its purpose.

A major point that developers must focus on is building lifecycle management. Corporates and residents must leverage bike tracks or walking tracks and use public transport which aids the reasons for obtaining the credits and certificates.

Some questions:

But is there a linear process or a regulation that brings all the stakeholders on a single platform? Uses platformization strategies to provide long-term visibility on a project? And transparency that encourages even the smallest stakeholder to voice his thoughts?

This may sound like an ideal world theory. But the time is ripe to put it into practice.

The setting up of a loss and damage fund (LDF) to finance climate change damage during COP 28 is a welcome move. However, it is yet to gain traction beyond the initial funds announced at the event. Experts note that by 2030, vulnerable nations could face annual damages worth $290-580 billion, with the total cost rising to $1-1.8 trillion by 2050.

India could pave the way in climate mitigation and the real estate segment can be a key player in the endeavors!

Our take:

As per Global Data, India’s construction market is expected to grow at an annual rate of growth (AAGR) of more than 5% between 2025 and 2028, from $825.6 billion in 2023. The growth will be driven by investments in the hotel, industrial, green energy, and transportation infrastructure projects credited with the market’s expansion.

While this is a great opportunity for the country to expand infrastructure and invite domestic as well as global investors, it also throws a harsh light on the environmental impact of rapid, un-governed rampant construction.

India is on the cusp of obtaining its net-zero targets. The real estate sector is at the forefront of enabling the country to achieve its goals. Large developers are setting net-zero targets and onboarding experts embarking on their carbon-positive journey.

I believe that both LEED and GRIHA are serving the right purpose. But we need a strong policy push and regulations to monitor the segment. The world is currently witnessing the impact of climate change. Heatwaves, forest fires, and floods have caused havoc in the lives of people and property.


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ASSOCHAM Webinar on World Environment Day

WriteCanvas News


ASSOCHAM South has on-boarded WriteCanvas to host a webinar titled: Leading the Way: Driving Environmental Innovation, on June 5.

June 5, has been declared the World Environment Day. The webinar’s theme is in line with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’s overarching concept of land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience for this year.

Renjini Liza Varghese, CEO, WriteCanvas will moderate the event. Eminent personalities like Manasa Nagabhushanam, Director (Academics, Research & Administration) Ramaiah Institute of Management, Bangalore Sridhar L, Head ESG, Bangalore International Airport, and Suma Krishnaswamy, Founder President, Cambium Biotechnologies will be a part of the esteemed panel.

According to Varghese, “The theme of the panel discussion has been long awaited. It will be interesting to hear about the corporates’ focus on various initiatives to preserve the environment, the matrix, and the lessons learned from implementing sustainability initiatives. More than what can be done, India needs to understand the best approach for climate action. We have a long way to go.”

Ms Nagabhushanam said, “The natural environment, which is currently considered external to business, will soon be considered internal. Businesses must take this issue seriously, establish internal guidelines, and coordinate internal initiatives for environmental change. Every business should take the initiative to embrace the environmental dimension rather than making it an aspect of the regulatory mandate.”

WriteCanvas and ASSOCHAM will also release an abbreviated version of the survey report titled “Is S the Blindspot in ESG?” in addition to the webinar. on June 5.


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Global Framework on Chemicals, Circular Economy

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All you want to know about the new Global Framework on Chemicals

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The Global Framework on Chemicals outlines specific goals and rules for key industries throughout the chemical lifecycle. The framework was adopted at the fifth international conference on chemicals management, in Bonn, Germany.

Key highlights of the framework:

The framework was formed for a planet free of harm from chemicals and waste. It was established through a collaborative international negotiation process involving government, private sector, NGOs, youth, and academia.

The global framework on chemicals:
• Is built around 28 targets, provides a road map for nations and stakeholders to work together to address the chemical lifecycle, including products and waste
• Aims to eliminate hazardous pesticides from agricultural use by 2035
• Prevent illegal trade, implement national legal frameworks, switch to safer chemical substitutes, manage chemicals responsibly, and improve transparency and information access

Stakeholder commitments:

Pollution and waste are now acknowledged on an equal footing with the crises of climate change, nature loss, and biodiversity loss, which already have frameworks in place, following the adoption of the Global Framework on Chemicals.

The Bonn Declaration, adopted by ICCM5 participants, reaffirms their commitment to prevent harmful chemicals exposure, phase out harmful ones, and improve safe chemical management.
In their pledge support circular economy, they will develop safe alternatives, reduce waste, recycle without harmful chemicals, and promote efficient resource utilization.

According to a press release, the UNEP will manage a fund for the implementation of the framework. Germany has already pledged €20 million toward the framework.

Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UN Environment Programme, advocates for a safe, healthy, and sustainable future without chemical exposure. “Beating a target is better than meeting a target, so I call on governments, the chemicals industry, and everyone involved to go above and beyond what has been agreed to protect people and the planet upon which we all depend. Slow or shoddy implementation will haunt us in the end,” she said.


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Biodiversity, Agirculture, Climate change

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Deconstructing the connect between our food systems and biodiversity

Sonal Desai


Globally, the distinction between the human habitat and that of the wild animals is gradually diminishing. The spasm between man and biodiversity is getting wider.

In urban centres and semi-urban areas, Maharashtra has experienced a surge in man-animal conflicts, with increasing human casualties, particularly leopard attacks. In 2022, tigers killed 77 people and leopards snuffed out 17, with fatalities in Nashik, Chandrapur, Nagpur, Kolhapur, and Thane.

Sightings of wild animals on the outskirts of forests or human colonies (now encroached on what was originally forest land) are common. Closer home in Mumbai, leopards stray out of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park into tribal colonies or the newly constructed housing societies in search of food and water. Monkeys too make their presence felt carelessly barging from windows onto unsuspecting people at home.

Rapidly increasing human population, per capita consumption, and changing consumption patterns drive increased use of natural resources for agriculture, mining, industrial infrastructure, and urban areas.

It looks like the animals are uniting against us—the human species to protect what is rightfully theirs—the forest. The SNGP example is one among the many where we have played a vitriolic part. Not only have we displaced the animals from their natural habitat, but we are in the process of disarming the entire food system and thereby, impacting biodiversity.

How are we destroying biodiversity?
According to WHO, land use change, pollution, poor water quality, chemical and waste contamination, climate change, and other causes of ecosystem degradation contribute to biodiversity loss and, can pose considerable threats to human health.

The main direct cause of biodiversity loss is land use change (primarily for large-scale food production) which drives an estimated 30% of biodiversity decline globally. Second is overexploitation (overfishing, overhunting, and overharvesting) for things like food, medicines, and timber which drives around 20%. Climate change is the third most significant direct driver of biodiversity loss, which together with pollution accounts for 14%. Invasive alien species account for 11%, a Royal Society report states.

Biodiversity loss and impact:

Reason Impact
Deforestation Biodiversity rich tropical rainforests being destroyed
Increased use of pesticide and fertilizer overuse Pollution
Agriculture Habitat loss, risk to local species
Low water in catchment areas reduced d dams and irrigation water flows
Wildlife trade and fishing hunting g and over-exploitation of species trade trade
e and travel spread d of invasive species and diseases

*** Source: The Royal Society

The agriculture-biodiversity climate change:
Authors of a ResearchGate research report note that due to climate change, distributions of species have shifted to higher elevations at a median rate of 11.0 m and 16.9 km per decade to higher latitudes. Accordingly, extinction rates of 1103 species under migration scenarios, provide 21–23% with unlimited migration and 38–52% with no migration.

Rising temperatures increase species extinction risk, causing irreversible loss of marine and coastal ecosystems, including coral reefs, which have nearly halved in 150 years a UN report notes.

Alarm bells:
The alarm bells are ringing.

Melting glaciers, heatwaves, extreme cold waves, torrential rain, and avalanches have impacted biodiversity equally or worse than human beings.

Take, for example, the videos of animal carcasses and plants floating on dirty water. Little wonder that global warming and changing rainfall patterns alter species ranges and the underlying water and chemical cycles that define current ecosystems.

Additionally, all activities within a food system –production, processing, retail, or cooking – have impacts on the environment. For example, land under agriculture is disturbed from its natural state, which affects soils, water, biodiversity, and even local microclimates.

Call for action:
Agriculture and biodiversity interact, benefiting each other through increased pollinators, pest reduction, and improved soil quality. Land conservation practices protect habitats, plants, and animals, while sustainable agriculture practices reduce erosion and promote nutrient retention.

Nature conservationists, Agtechs, policymakers, the government, the UN, WB, WHO, and other stakeholders are penning advocacies or initiating primary action to limit biodiversity loss.

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems all around the world, for the benefit of people and nature. It runs through 2030, which is also the deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals and the timeline scientists have identified as the last chance to prevent catastrophic climate change.

The UNEP suggestions:

  • Adopt a diet that reduces forest habitat loss and degradation by shopping locally and in season and purchasing products with deforestation-free ingredients, when possible
  • Consider overlaps between making your supply chain climate resilient and restoring forests and ecosystems – and make it happen.
  • Invest in landscape conservation and restoration as part of net-zero emission efforts; investments must meet high social and environmental standards
  • Halve tropical deforestation by 2025 and stop net deforestation by 2030 globally
  • Stop policies and subsidies that incentivize deforestation and peatland degradation and promote their restoration
  • Systematically monitor and evaluate the progress of conservation and restoration efforts
  • Work with suppliers to find collaborative solutions to minimize ecosystem impacts across the supply chain

Conclusion:
Connected to our food systems, the world can reduce emissions by 5.9 Gt annually if it halts deforestation, and ecosystem degradation and restores ecosystems, according to UNEP.

These actions would also improve air quality, bolster food and water security, and shore up rural economies. Most importantly, investments in land, freshwater, and marine ecosystems can make a major contribution to increasing climate resilience, the authors write.

 


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Wastewater

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Wastewater Can Provide Energy to Half Billion People

WriteCanvas News


Wastewater poses significant health and environmental threats.

UNEP, Global Wastewater Initiative (GWWI), and GRID-Arendal analysis shows wastewater could provide alternative energy, supply 10 times more water than current desalination capacity, and offset 10% of global fertilizer use.

Titled: Wastewater. Turning Problem to Solution, the report advocates treating wastewater as a circular economy opportunity, generating new jobs, revenue streams, and reducing production volume for increased economic benefits. It aims to inspire policymakers to lead transformational change in sustainable wastewater management, closing water cycles, and reusing recovered resources.

The global water crisis is worsened by wastewater from various sources, causing ecosystem degradation, food insecurity, and social issues.

The authors observe that today, only 11 per cent of the world’s treated wastewater is reused and around half of the world’s untreated wastewater still enters rivers, lakes, and seas.

Wastewater contributes to 1.57 per cent of global emissions, releasing greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide. However, it can be a climate solution by producing biogas, heat, and electricity, providing electricity for half a billion people annually and supporting countries’ adaptation to climate change.

Reusing wastewater can reduce synthetic fertilizer dependence and irrigate 40 million hectares, offsetting 13.4% of global agricultural nutrient demand, the report says.

Wastewater can provide valuable resources for industries like paper, polymers, pesticides, rubber, paint, biodiesel, food preservatives, and medical products. Improved water management and reuse are complex challenges, but successful solutions can be adapted for different socio-environmental contexts. Examples from high- and low-income countries like Caribbean, China, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, India, Israel, Namibia, Senegal, Sweden, Singapore, the Solomon Islands and Tunisia showcase successful solutions.

The report recommends reducing wastewater volume, preventing contamination, and managing resources for safe reuse.

“Globally, wastewater is full of potential, yet it is currently allowed instead to contaminate the ecosystems we rely on,” says Leticia Carvalho, Principal Coordinator, Marine and Freshwater Branch, UNEP. “We must not let the opportunity simply disappear down the drain: it’s time to realize the promise of wastewater as an alternative source of clean water, energy, and important nutrients.”

Peter Harris, Director of GRID-Arendal, adds, “… For that to happen, we need more effective governance, investment, supporting innovation, strengthening data, improving capacity to implement and – critically shifting our behaviour – all of us as individuals and institutions.”


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