With the focus on key issues and challenges related to global warming and climate change which can impact coastal cities such as Mumbai, CII-IGBC, India’s premier body for green building certification and related services, held a one-day Mumbai Green Summit on Friday. The summit was attended by the Executive Chairman of the Chief Minister’s Environmental Task Force, Pasha Patel and Principal Secretary, Department of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Pravin Darade.

In the inaugural session, Patel focused on the challenges posed by climate change and global warming and how Mumbai needs to address this serious concern by identifying corrective and timely measures to mitigate the impact. He also set the tone by focusing on bamboo cultivation to tackle the issues, besides emphasising on the use of green steel concept in the construction of buildings.

Darade mentioned that Mumbaikars are religiously using public transport, and he was hopeful that the metro network, once completed, will further help reduce the city’s carbon footprint. He too urged for the extensive use of bamboo plants in saving the environment.

In his special address, the Chairman of CII Maharashtra State Council, Vishal Kamat said, “CII aims to position itself as a catalyst in shaping Mumbai’s climate-resilient future. The first edition of the summit marks the beginning of a long-term partnership between industry, government, and civil society to address Mumbai’s unique environmental challenges. Mumbai faces increasing threats from climate change, such as rising sea levels, heatwaves, and urban flooding. CII state council with the support of IGBC chapters, will advocate for resilient infrastructure as the bedrock of sustainable urban growth. The focus will be on creating buildings and infrastructure that can withstand these climate risks.”

The summit also saw the launch of the ‘Green Dossier’, a compilation of the work done by CII IGBC which is leading the green building and the sustainable-built environment movement in India. With over 14,400 certified projects and a green building footprint of 12.02 billion sq ft, CII IGBC has played a vital role in the adoption of green and sustainability principles. In Maharashtra alone, CII IGBC along with the real estate industry has over 3,000 projects covering 3.53 billion sq ft. while Mumbai has 1,540 certified projects covering 1.72 billion sq ft.

The summit also saw two technical sessions focussing on economic benefits of sustainability, the environmental impact and the role of real estate developers in creating healthier living and working environments that prioritize human well-being. The other session deliberated on the strategies to achieve a low carbon-built environment which not only requires sustainable design and practices, but also depends on the use of eco-friendly products and technologies.