January 7, 2023

Speakers
Sameer Sinha, Chair, India Green Building Council
Pathik Patwari, President, Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Achieving net zero is both a technological and a financial challenge. The decade is for the global south to come together and exchange knowledge, to upscale climate-friendly solutions towards a net zero economy. How can governments and institutions tap into the immense potential of new technologies to decode climate mitigation practices in both, rural and urban spaces?

Sameer Sinha started off by briefly discussing the Vision of the Future Report published in June 2022 highlighting the strategic partnership agreement between the Confederation of Danish Industry and the Indian Green Building Council. He shared how the study seeks to comprehend the impact of green buildings on the occupants of those buildings. The results showcase happier, healthier, and more productive individuals. Given the positive findings, the project has been extended for another four years. The next phase of the study seeks to quantify these findings and its impact on operations.

While commenting on the economics of sustainability, he added that it’s cheaper to be sustainable; cheaper to build, cheaper to operate. One must be sensitive and environmentally conscious if you want to conduct business in today’s time. The next generation is committed towards a far more responsible way of living. 80-90 per cent of the funds coming into India, are already mandated to be green. All the big corporations in India are all talking about ESG, financials are limited to just the last 2-3 pages.

Stepping into the conversation, Pathik Patwari added the industrial voice. He added that India is a country which worships the sun, water, and earth. The country does not need any preaching or teachings but a reassigning of the way we are conducting things. Further, he commented on how India is the manufacturing hub for the world and won’t shy away from taking up responsibilities regarding climate change mitigation. Applauding the support the Indian Government, and the State Government of Gujarat, is providing to start-ups and MSMEs, he added that well defined policies coupled with righteous fund management is helping to keep the carbon footprint in check.

Towards the end, in their concluding messages, Sameer Sinha talked about how the sector will witness immense growth soon. At the same time, more attention needs to be diverted towards water and exchange of knowledge, tech and research from other countries. Pathik Patwari commented that India is already developing and directing a multitude of policies towards the MSME sector and employing a bottom-up approach. Once the pyramid is stronger, percolation of technology and solutions will become smoother.

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