Tackling urbanization through sustainable projects – Sankar S, COO, Karle Infra

New Delhi, November 20, 2018:

What are some of the global best practices that the Indian real estate industry is adopting in India?

Over the last few years, the realty sectorin India has evolved to realize the importance of sustainable projects; more importantly, the industry and the government have moved swiftly toadopt measures needed to implement these practices.

Green building as a global practice, is the implementation of sustainable development practices that are often enforced by law. In India, the trendhas just begun totake shape.With the recent ban imposed by the Honourable Supreme Court, on construction in select states of India, due to waste management techniques, we are witnessingan encouragement of green practices by the highest judicial forum in the country.

Across the globe, companies are striving to reduce their carbon footprint and improve waste management techniques. These practices are influencing the way the real estate industry in India assess developments.

An example of this implementation in India can be seen in the usage of pulped renewable paper for roof protection. This is a simple, yet efficient method which does not have any adverse effect on the health of people as well as the environment.

In order to ensure the implementation of energy efficient designs in buildingswhich result in a reduced carbon footprint, many countries are implementing changes at a policy level, in order to improve data transparency.

This requires building owners to publicly disclose environmental impact data like carbon emissions, water usage etc. Such disclosure programs which have been implemented around the world have reported energy savings in a very short period of time.

Which global best practices, according to you, would be crucial to enhance the sustainability of real estate development and urbanization in India?

Any real estate project that abides by the five elements of water efficiency, sustainable site, energy efficiency, materials and resources optimization and indoor environmental quality control can become environmentally sensitive. These sustainable structures would have tremendous benefits as they lower energy consumption and water consumption, as well as provide various health benefits to the residents.

Companies can further reduce any negative incremental impact on the environment by various methods like minimizing energy and water consumption of properties.They develop and reduction in designs and development that can cause these problems.

Furthermore, companies can implement the multi-usage of resources or utilize recycled materials instead. This has led to a drastic decline in the use of hazardous material which extends the durability and functionality of properties.

What are the best sustainability practices that Karle has adopted across its projects?

Karle Infra’sculture of promoting sustainability and commitment to provide state-of-the-art construction solutions mix elements of nature with man-made infrastructure. Karle Infra deliberates about ensuring projects that reduce carbon footprint. This not only helps use lower energy and water consumption but also lowers material utilization and reduces greenhouse emission. With enhanced ventilation and abundant natural lighting to every part of the house, our homes also result in a better quality of life for the occupants as compared to conventional homes.

Does responsible raw material procurement also form a part of sustainable real estate development?

Yes it does. While purchasing raw materials, it is necessary to consider parameters beyond price, quality and functionality and look at the effect it will have on human health, the environment and society. Before procuring the materials, it is necessary to ask yourself whether or not the purchase is necessary, what the product is made of, the components of the packaging and under what conditions they were made. Companies should also think about how these materials will be used and how they will be disposed of in order to avoid harming the environment.

These raw materials might be more expensive, but when assessed in terms of their life-span, can be more cost effective as they are more durable.

Has sustainability as an economic concept finally found its way in the mainstream?

Yes, it has to a great extent. A growing number of business leaders across the world emphasizing on responsible capitalism and sustainable business, people are becoming aware. More firms today are trying to avoid indulging in unethical conduct and see sustainability as a way to enhance their performance.

Global leaders today are even integrating environmental and social goals into the company’s business. India has the world’s second largest 4.7 billion sq. ft. registered for green building footprint and has projects spread across the country. The value is expected to double by 2022 at 10 billion square feet.

What could be a greater assertion than the Nobel acclamation for William Nordhaus and Paul Romer’s seminal work to integrate innovation and climate with economic growth.

Corporate Comm India(CCI Newswire)