CII-IGBC holds Green Mumbai Summit

The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), established by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), organised its first Green Mumbai Summit on September 20, 2024 at Colaba. It was attended by senior officials of the Government of Maharashtra; Pasha Patel, Executive Chairman, CM-Environmental Task Force; Pravin Darade, Principal Secretary, Environment Department & Climate Change, Government of Maharashtra as well as core committee members of the IGBC. The event also witnessed the launch of the Green Dossier, a compilation of the work done by CII-IGBC.

The inaugural session focused on the challenges posed by climate change and global warming and how Mumbai, one of the leading cities worldwide, needs to address this serious concern by identifying corrective and timely measures to mitigate the impact.

Pasha Patel set the tone by focusing on bamboo cultivation to tackle climate change and global warming. He also emphasised on the use of ‘green’ steel concept in the construction of buildings and that bamboos should be used as an alternative for coal in power generation.

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Pravin 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 urged for the extensive use of bamboo plant in saving the environment.

Vishal Kamat, Chairman, CII Maharashtra State Council, in his special address, said, “CII aims to position itself as a catalyst in shaping Mumbai’s climate-resilient future. The first edition of the Green Mumbai 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 Green Mumbai Summit focused on a number of key issues and challenges related to global warming and climate change and how coastal cities such as Mumbai can be significantly impacted. As sea levels rise due to melting ice caps and glaciers, Mumbai, faces increased flooding and erosion. This can threaten infrastructure, homes, and livelihoods, particularly in low-lying areas.

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As sea levels rise and flooding becomes more frequent, communities, especially in slums and informal settlements, may be displaced, leading to social and economic challenges. Again, global warming contributes to more frequent and intense heatwaves. Mumbai can experience extreme temperatures, exacerbating health issues, especially for vulnerable populations.

The Green Mumbai Summit also witnessed two technical sessions being held as well as a couple of panel discussions where the participants included leading architects, builders and real estate developers. The first panel was on ‘Green Residential Communities - A Need of the Hour,’ while the second panel discussed the road Mumbai needs to take towards ‘Net Zero Built Environment.’