India’s construction sector, which is growing exponentially, is projected to reach $1.4 trillion by 2047, according to Shailesh Kumar Agarwal, Executive Director, Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

He was speaking at the Indo-German sponsored Asia Low-Carbon Building Transition (ALCBT) Project event on an orientation programme to promote sustainable construction practices and reduce carbon emissions.

Agarwal further stated that urbanisation is increasing rapidly and there is a need to reduce the operational energy in the buildings sector, apart from using low carbon building materials in the construction.

“To achieve this, there is a need to revisit the way we do our construction primarily focussing on recycling and mindful consumption,” he said.

The program for master trainers on ‘Low-Carbon Building Transition for Building Materials Manufacturers & Technology Providers’ was organised by business chamber FICCI, jointly with Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).

The project is being implemented by GGGI in five Asian countries including India with support from the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the Government of Germany.

Taina Dyckhoff, Head of Environment Division German Embassy said that India and Germany are working closely together in the field of climate change within the framework of the Indo-German Green and Sustainable Development Partnership.

The partnership targets various initiatives associated with climate mitigation, adaptation, natural carbon sinks, and biodiversity conservation.

“The capacity building initiative under the ALCBT project will result in sufficient awareness among all concerned in the building ecosystem”, she added.

Pravatanalini Samal, Director, Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power highlighted BEE’s initiatives in energy efficiency across industries, buildings, and appliances. "In the building sector, significant energy is being used in various applications especially cooling,” Samal said.

Soumya Garnaik, Country Representative – India, Global Green Growth Institute said that the ALCBT Project aims to integrate low-carbon concepts in existing and new buildings. "Given that over 70 per cent of buildings are expected to be built in the coming years, this presents a significant opportunity for India to explore low-carbon options. This project is expected to train over 2,100 professionals in the next two years," Garnaik said.