India’s Role in the Global Net-Zero Blueprint

In an exclusive interview with Industry Outlook, Mahesh Ramanujam, President & CEO of the Global Network for Zero, discusses India's global net-zero blueprint, sustainable urbanization, renewable energy sector performance, and business decarbonization measures. A global leader in decarbonization, he brings over two decades of expertise in ESG, net-zero strategies, and business transformation, having previously led the U.S. Green Building Council and played a key role in LEED’s global expansion.

How can high-growth cities like Bangalore lead in sustainable urbanization?

Bangalore is one of India's biggest cities and has also become recognized for its sustainable urban development practices. Numerous sustainable green structures have emerged as business opportunities throughout the city starting from its airport facilities. The city of Bangalore implements various significant steps to promote its sustainable green building accomplishments while aiming to gain widespread recognition. Although the city continues its progress, numerous buildings remain inadequate in their performance. The structures have a direct effect on the sustainable development of urban areas. The city needs to concentrate on developing superior versions of existing buildings that fail to meet standards and turn them into sustainable models.   

The city requires public awareness to become a more sustainable urban environment that promotes health and environmental protection. It needs to maximize its current assets by prioritizing immediate action which can be assessed through net-zero measurement standards. All members of society can work together to construct infrastructure that avoids carbon emissions from direct and indirect energy usage under Scope 1 and Scope 2 and also from all activities spanning the supply chain and value chain under Scope 3. The designed activities must not affect sustainability negatively but instead, benefit it in some way.

Bangalore holds the potential to establish itself as a model city at the global level creating both challenges and opportunities for sustainable urban development. The city needs to focus on becoming zero-emission which needs continuous dedication to accomplish this ambitious goal.  

What role can advanced technology play in accelerating sustainable infrastructure development in urban centers?

The world is adopting artificial intelligence at an accelerating rate because building sustainable infrastructure requires large quantities of information which human beings need to evaluate along with their analysis of sources to make well-informed decisions. Artificial intelligence handles vast amounts of information through its processing systems to generate recommendations from user preferences. The system occasionally produces interruptions when operating.

Digital twins represent a modern technology for creating 3D models that reproduce actual scenarios. Digital twin modeling serves as an approach to creating perfect urban design and development solutions. The technology encompasses crucial aspects such as safety, economic progress, people, energy, water, and waste management. Society depends on precise data collection to generate decisions that lead to improved human life standards.

The development of infrastructure relies on various tools that concentrate on low carbon and high efficiency along with clean energy solutions for goal achievement. Energy consumption levels decrease through passive design technology while carbon emissions reach minimum levels. These represent the avenues through which technology can be used to achieve sustainable urban development.  

How can India’s renewable energy sector contribute to achieving net-zero goals in urban areas?

India is one of the global leaders in renewable energy as the Modi government aims to produce 500 GW of renewable capacity by 2030. Solar energy represents India's areas of excellence and I work with Goldy Solar which holds the position as a leading solar manufacturing company based in Surat. I served on their advisory board to observe their transformation from 3 GW capacity to their expansion into 14 GW capacity.

The problem persists because rural regions lack sufficient energy access. Solar power represents a fundamental transformation for India's development because it provides energy solutions that rural communities cannot afford because of the current energy prices. The development of rural territories depends directly on their adoption of solar power systems. The collaboration between Shree Ramkrishna Exports and us resulted in the complete solarization of Dudhala village in Gujarat through our joint solar project. The project seeks to eliminate lifetime financial expenses relating to electricity for rural inhabitants. This constitutes a strategic initiative that promotes clean energy use.

The technology has an easy implementation process because it can be moved between locations and there exists plenty of available land and rooftop space which makes the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources more feasible. The nation possesses a tremendous chance to excel through this opportunity, particularly within rural communities. The path to economic independence depends directly on obtaining energy independence. The implementation of clean energy will minimize expenses while establishing a new path toward environmental cleanliness and national prosperity.

What steps are businesses taking to align with national and global decarbonization targets?

The growing energy demand is compelling steel, cement, fashion, hotels, hospitals, construction, manufacturing, and other businesses to embrace decarbonization initiatives. The urgent need to minimize energy usage in India becomes more significant each day because of its fast-growing data centers and IT hubs.

The expanding energy requirements together with massive investments in extensive energy infrastructure are expected to diminish profitability and market performance which results in substantial financial losses. Through the adoption of solar power, wind power, renewable energy systems, and battery technology, businesses can decrease their carbon emissions effectively.

The decarbonization requirements in India match the global industrial challenge. The FMCG industry leads multiple sectors that focus on decarbonization efforts. Multiple industries are at the forefront of transition because they understand that clean carbon-free environments guarantee both sustainable development and long-term growth.

What regulatory changes are necessary to drive decarbonization efforts across Indian industries?

Through fifteen years of experience, I have seen that voluntary leadership inside businesses creates a substantial acceleration of cost reduction efforts. Minimum standards serve as the main focus of regulation through which it establishes energy limits for building operations and specifies carbon release levels.

The main goal of regulations is to make industries follow minimum requirements or else they will suffer penalties. Losses experienced by industries because of non-compliance create broader awareness within the affected industries. Businesses need to adopt leadership as an advanced principle that moves them past basic compliance-based regulations designed for general populations.

Organizations can use leadership-based transformative strategies to move past regulatory compliance requirements so they can innovate creative solutions that will lead to achieving net-zero emission targets.