Why is it in the news?

• Nagpur’s Zero Carbon Buildings Action Plan (ZCBAP) was launched as the first city-specific initiative in India aimed at achieving net zero carbon buildings by 2050.
• The primary goal of ZCBAP is to enhance the environmental performance of buildings throughout their lifecycle by reducing embodied, operational, and end-of-life greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while still ensuring visual and thermal comforts for occupants.

 More about the news

• ZCBAP in Nagpur has been developed collaboratively with implementing partners of the Zero Carbon Building Accelerator (ZCBA) project, which was initiated by the World Resources Institute (WRI) in 2021.
• Nagpur is among six global cities chosen for the ZCBA project, alongside cities in Kenya, Costa Rica, Turkey, and Colombia.

Need for ZCBAP

• The launch of ZCBAP in Nagpur is driven by the urgent need to address India’s escalating building-related greenhouse gas emissions.
• Between 2000 and 2017, India’s building-related GHG emissions more than doubled, reflecting the rapid growth of urbanization and construction activities.
• Projections indicate significant increases in GHG emissions from India’s steel and cement industries over the next 20-30 years, highlighting the critical importance of decarbonizing the built environment.
• Brick kilns, which are prevalent in Nagpur and other parts of India, contribute substantially to carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, NOx, and particulate emissions, further underscoring the need for action.

Policy Framework and Initiatives

 Nagpur’s ZCBAP aligns with existing national policy frameworks and initiatives aimed at promoting building decarbonization in India which includes:

• Initiatives such as India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the Long-Term Low-Carbon Development Strategy, which outline targets and strategies for reducing carbon emissions across various sectors.
• Additionally, Nagpur’s ZCBAP leverages key building codes and green building rating systems, such as the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) of 2017 and certifications like the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA), and Eco-Niwas Samhita 2018, to promote sustainable building practices and encourage the adoption of energy-efficient technologies and designs.