Green building roadmap rolled out in T'puram
Speaking at the event, city corporation secretary Jahamgeer S said, "Thiruvananthapuram is expanding rapidly both vertically and horizontally. The 23 local bodies in the district have reported a significant rise in building construction approval requests. To address the increasing energy demand, we have equipped public buildings with solar power systems, achieving a cumulative installed capacity of 17MW under the solar cities programme.
We remain committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions in the building sector and are now working on a climate budget for the city."
NZCRB refers to buildings designed to reduce environmental impact and withstand climate-related challenges. These energy-efficient structures either generate renewable energy onsite or source it externally to achieve net zero carbon emissions.
The plan, developed by the City Corporation with WRI India as a knowledge partner and inputs from architects and experts, outlines 20 key actions to cut emissions across the entire building lifecycle—from design and construction to operation and demolition.
Proposed measures include creating a database on the carbon footprint of building materials, implementing a green procurement policy, integrating NZCRB principles into urban planning and city master plans and improving infrastructure for managing end-of-life building emissions.
In addition to reducing emissions, the plan offers co-benefits such as lower urban heat island effects, better air quality, long-term energy savings, infrastructure efficiency, and local green job creation.
It also recommends forming a dedicated steering committee to oversee implementation and monitor progress.
The initiative comes at a crucial time, as the global building sector accounts for 36% of final energy use and nearly 40% of energy-related CO₂ emissions. In India, buildings and construction contribute about 32% of national greenhouse gas emissions. With urbanisation set to reach 40% by 2036, cities like Thiruvananthapuram face growing pressures to plan sustainably.
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New Indian Express
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Thiruvananthapuram city corporation to introduce NZCRB action plan to tackle climate change, pollution
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major move to tackle climate change, the city corporation has unveiled a first-of-its-kind blueprint — Net Zero Carbon and Resilient Buildings (NZCRB) — to make the city's environment energy-efficient, climate-resilient and with a low-carbon footprint. The action plan, the officials say, is designed to drastically reduce carbon emissions across a building's lifecycle, right from design and construction to its demolition, all the while helping it withstand the impacts of extreme weather. The action plan also recommends establishing an NZCRB Cell within the corporation to coordinate activities and ensure its long-term integration. The document has been drawn up by the civic body in collaboration with sustainable experts and research organisations, including WRI India, the Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE), and the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). As part of it, the civic body will introduce innovative climate-responsive materials and technologies for construction, including heat pumps, high-performance glass and walling systems with low thermal resistance, to promote sustainable construction. 'Our city is expanding rapidly. Subsequently, the number of building construction approval requests in all 23 local bodies have also gone up. To address this rising energy demand, the corporation has made public buildings solar efficient, with a cumulative installed capacity of 17MW. This was done under the solar cities programme,'' explains corporation secretary Jahangir S. 'We are committed to moving towards net-zero carbon emissions in the building sector. For this, we are working on a climate budget for the city,' he adds.
The Hindu
11-07-2025
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Net-zero carbon footprint goal: Thiruvananthapuram Corporation formulates NZCRB action plan report
The Thiruvananthapuram Corporation has prepared its Net Zero Carbon and Resilient Buildings (NZCRB) Action Plan Report as part of various ongoing efforts of the civic body to address climate change issues. NZCRB are structures designed to minimise their environmental impact and enhance their ability to withstand climate-related challenges. Such highly energy-efficient buildings can either produce their own renewable energy or purchase renewable energy, to offset their energy consumption, towards the goal of achieving a net-zero carbon footprint. Developed by the Corporation, with WRI India as knowledge partner, along with architects and experts as part of the working group, the NZCRB plan outlines 20 actions for reducing carbon emissions across the entire building lifecycle — from design and construction to operation and eventual demolition. Key actions Some of the key actions suggested include the development of a database on carbon content of building materials, designing and implementing a green procurement policy, integration of NZCRB principles in urban planning, and including city master plans and building the infrastructure and capacity for better end-of-life carbon management of buildings. Beyond reducing carbon emissions, the plan offers other benefits such as lower urban heat island effects, improved air quality, long-term energy and infrastructure savings and local green job creation. It also proposes a dedicated steering committee to oversee implementation and track progress. The action plan was released at an exhibition and dialogue titled 'Towards a Low Carbon and Climate Resilient Built Environment for Thiruvananthapuram' on Thursday. The event was jointly organised by the Corporation, WRI India, the Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE) and the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). The exhibition spotlighted more than 10 innovative climate-responsive building materials and technologies, aimed at strengthening low-carbon construction. From new age heat pumps and high performance glass to walling materials with low thermal resistance, the exhibition showcased strategies to reduce whole life cycle carbon in buildings while ensuring thermal comfort.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Time of India
Green building roadmap rolled out in T'puram
Thiruvananthapuram: In a major step toward sustainable and climate-resilient urban development, Thiruvananthapuram's blueprint for net zero carbon and resilient buildings (NZCRB) was launched on Thursday. Speaking at the event, city corporation secretary Jahamgeer S said, "Thiruvananthapuram is expanding rapidly both vertically and horizontally. The 23 local bodies in the district have reported a significant rise in building construction approval requests. To address the increasing energy demand, we have equipped public buildings with solar power systems, achieving a cumulative installed capacity of 17MW under the solar cities programme. We remain committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions in the building sector and are now working on a climate budget for the city." NZCRB refers to buildings designed to reduce environmental impact and withstand climate-related challenges. These energy-efficient structures either generate renewable energy onsite or source it externally to achieve net zero carbon emissions. The plan, developed by the City Corporation with WRI India as a knowledge partner and inputs from architects and experts, outlines 20 key actions to cut emissions across the entire building lifecycle—from design and construction to operation and demolition. Proposed measures include creating a database on the carbon footprint of building materials, implementing a green procurement policy, integrating NZCRB principles into urban planning and city master plans and improving infrastructure for managing end-of-life building emissions. In addition to reducing emissions, the plan offers co-benefits such as lower urban heat island effects, better air quality, long-term energy savings, infrastructure efficiency, and local green job creation. It also recommends forming a dedicated steering committee to oversee implementation and monitor progress. The initiative comes at a crucial time, as the global building sector accounts for 36% of final energy use and nearly 40% of energy-related CO₂ emissions. In India, buildings and construction contribute about 32% of national greenhouse gas emissions. With urbanisation set to reach 40% by 2036, cities like Thiruvananthapuram face growing pressures to plan sustainably.
