Beyond Green Buildings: Indian cities need a sustainability reset
As urban planners in many parts of the world are pushing for concepts like the 15-minute city, Indian metropolises are evolving into ‘two-hour cities’; getting from one point to another is nothing short of an endurance sport. Even as we celebrate green-certified buildings, the daily experience of an average city dweller remains frustratingly inefficient. Above all, it is also a strange paradox. On the one hand, Indian cities are taking remarkable steps to mainstream green buildings. Uttar Pradesh was very recently in the news for approving over 1,400 green building projects with a coverage of more than 1.6 billion square feet. In Delhi too we see its cyber hubs and parks boasting green certification. The key question to ask is—what is the point of having an energy-efficient, LEED-certified office tower if employees spend two hours every day commuting through congested roads, breathing polluted air, and burning fossil fuels? Sustainability cannot be confined to the walls of a buildings; it must extend to the way a city functions.
The IEA estimates that the operations of buildings account for 30% of global final energy consumption and 26% of global energy-related emissions. The buildings sector in itself, which includes energy used for constructing, heating, cooling and lighting homes and businesses, as well as the appliances and equipment installed in them, accounts for over one third of global energy consumption and emissions. Green buildings are therefore vital for any country including India for its journey towards Net Zero emissions. They are designed to minimize environmental impact by improving energy efficiency, water conservation, and resource management. They integrate passive cooling techniques, renewable energy sources, and sustainable materials to reduce carbon footprints while enhancing occupant comfort. India embraced this shift and is currently in the third spot on the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) annual list of Top 10 Countries and Regions for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). In 2024, 370 projects, encompassing both buildings and spaces, were certified through LEED in the country covering 8.5 million gross square meters. The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) and other certification bodies have driven this movement, pushing for LEED, GRIHA, and EDGE-rated buildings across commercial and residential sectors. The Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI) partnered with IGBC to promote 4,000 certified green housing projects by 2030. While Green buildings are important, they are not a silver bullet, and this is where our approach to sustainable urbanization needs to evolve. A green certified building in an unsustainable city remains just an isolated achievement in a fundamentally flawed urban fabric.
True sustainability is not just about how efficiently a building consumes energy; it is about how people move, work, and live in the city. If we are serious about creating truly green cities, we need to look beyond certifications and rethink urban planning itself by prioritizing walkability, accessibility, and integrated public transport alongside energy-efficient buildings. Metropolises in India be it Delhi, Bangalore or Mumbai suffer from fragmented urban zoning with office hubs, shopping districts, and residential areas located miles apart. Contrast it with cities like Copenhagen, where nearly 50% of daily commutes happen on bicycles, or Singapore, where seamless public transport ensures that green infrastructure is complemented by low-carbon urban mobility. Sustainability therefore is not just about what happens inside a building but about how it fits into the larger urban ecosystem.
It is not an easy transition to make, especially in a rapidly emerging economy like India. There are however some entry points to this transition. Public transport and mobility integration is key because even though green buildings reduce individual carbon footprints, true urban sustainability requires cities to cut emissions at scale. While metro networks in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru have expanded, last-mile connectivity remains weak. Poorly designed sidewalks, unregulated fares, and lack of cycle lanes make public transport inconvenient and unattractive, keeping private vehicles dominant. If you look back at history, cities were designed for its people. The old quarters of Jaipur, Varanasi, and Hyderabad were built around bazaars, temples, and central courtyards, allowing people to access work, markets, and recreation by foot. Fast forward to today, and Indian cities have flipped this logic upside down. Roads dominate, footpaths are an afterthought, and urban greenery is sacrificed for real estate expansion. A well-planned, walkable city allows people to access jobs, schools, parks, and daily needs within a short walking or cycling distance. This is not just an urban luxury, but it is a necessity for sustainability, public health, and economic efficiency. Think about the productivity loss, lack of recreation and its impact of physical and mental health when the people spend hours in commute.
It’s time we start a larger conversation not just about green buildings, but about the urban spaces between them. We must rethink how people move, how they access public spaces, and how cities can be designed to work for everyone not just for cars and real estate developers. Walkability, accessible public transport, and the integration of green spaces into the urban fabric are just as crucial as energy efficiency in shaping a sustainable future. The challenge before us is not just to build better buildings but to reset our cities to make them more inclusive, healthier, and resilient.
The article was published with Business Standard on March 20, 2025.
