LOW CARBON PATHWAYS FOR DEVELOPMENT A CASE OF THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR

ZEENAT NIAZI, DEVELOPMENT ALTERNATIVES. DECEMBER 2013

South Asian Parliamentarians and Policymakers at Work: Sub-Regional Conference

Prime concerns for South Asia

poverty, vulnerability, food-water-energy security, livelihoods

The key concern we often ignore

Environmental degradation due to Anthropogenic activity

The linked picture

Drivers of change Pressures on the natural

capital Changes in State of

environment Impacts on social and

economic development Sustainable Responses

needed

DRIVERS

PRESSURES

STATEIMPACT

RESPONSE

Drivers of change

Population Urbanisation Lifestyles Climate Change

DRIVERS

PRESSURES

STATEIMPACT

RESPONSE

South Asia- some of the fastest growing cities in the world

By 2020, Mumbai will be the second largest city in the world, closely followed by Delhi, and Dhaka.

With Karachi and Kolkata, 5 of the world’s 11 megacities (10+ million) will then be in South Asia.

Urbanisation and Lifestyles

32% of India’s population lives in urban areas, this is projected to become 50% by 2050

A global middle Class Explosion (wri, 2013)

1billion(1990) 2 billion (2010) 5 billion (2030)

90% of the 3 billion growth will be in Asia – mostly India and China

Source : WRI, 2013

Source : WRI, 2013

Source : WRI, 2013

Pressures on the Natural Eco-System

Land – Change in land use Materials – increased

extraction – soils, stones/aggregates, metals

Water – increased demand, increased transpiration or sudden deluge, reduced flows

Air – green house gas emissions, temperatures changes

Energy – demand for fuel/ electricity

DRIVERS

PRESSURES

STATEIMPACT

RESPONSE

Pressures on land

Land-use change agriculture, forest cover, hydrological changes, land-fills, disasters

Urbanisation and pressures for more and new materials

Worldwide buildings account for upto 30% raw materials use

In India 2011, gross built up urban area grew by 10% (CII) Materials for new and

expanding housing needs, poor as well as middle class

Pressures for more and new materials

Source : UNEP-IRP, report on materials

Pressures on the Available Carbon Space

A major share, almost 80% of the GHG burden of the sector, is borne by the building materials alone.

Cement, steel, lime and bricks are the largest bulk consumption items in the construction industry and also the most energy-guzzling. Production of cement in India increased by 56% to 228.3

Mt between 2000 and 2011. The Indian steel industry also witnessed an increase in

production of over 300% between 1994–1995 and 2008–2009.

The brick sector in India has an annual demand for over 200 million bricks.

Pressure on energy resources and climate

Firing is highly energy-intensive and resource-inefficient with a coal consumption of around 20–30 tons for every100, 000 bricks

The sector produces 41.6 Mt of CO2 emissions annually

Conflicts with Food Security

South Asia is the World’s largest producer of bricks with an annual production of approximately 200 billion only in India.

Annually 350 million MT of top soil are lost to brick making competing with agricultural yield and exerting pressure on food security.

Changes in the State of Environment

Increasing fragility of land and water resources - Eco-system Services

Water - hydrological changes, quality and quantity

Increasing pollution of land water and air

Weather conditions – increased uncertainties, sudden and extreme weather events

Climate – changes in temperature and precipitation regimes

DRIVERS

PRESSURES

STATEIMPACT

RESPONSE

Impacts on human and eco-system well- being

Food security Water security Health Price rise and reduced

accessibility housing, water-sanitation, energy services,

Increasing disasters Vulnerable land, society,

economy Climate Change

DRIVERS

PRESSURES

STATEIMPACT

RESPONSE

Impacts on human and eco-system well-being

Excessive mining – changes in hydrological systems

Deforestation - desertification Air and water quality and human health

Responses Needed

Low carbon pathways for development Resource efficiencies Resource shifts/

alternative materials

DRIVERS

PRESSURES

STATEIMPACT

RESPONSE

Responses Needed

Examples of Current Good Practice

Materials and technology Delivery systems – supply systems Skills and capacity building Standards, norms, regulations Market development and demand

creation Financing and fiscal measures Policies and guidelines

Priority Area – Cleaner Production - Greener Materials

Low in embodied energy Low in resource footprints Cleaner production

processes Contribute to thermal

comfort Recyclable / Reusable –

low life cycle costs

Opportunities for Green Materials

Recycled and alternate building materials saves 12 to 40 % of the total energy used during materials production

Adoption of energy efficient brick production measures can contribute to savings of 100 million tonnes of CO2e/year by 2020.

100 million USD market opportunity for green materials and products (CII)

Current Best Practice - Materials Cement - Blended cements – cost benefit and

business sustainability by reducing mining of raw limestone

Current practices routinely replace up to 30% or more of the Portland cement with blended materials. In India, the share of blended cement now accounts for 75% of all production.

Industrial wastes – Fly-ash, stone dust Manufactured sand – ban on mining and river

dredging coupled with a huge demand

Current Best Practice - Technology

Bricks - Low carbon alternatives like better firing practices (VSBK, HHK), Stabilised Compressed Earth Blocks, Aerated Blocks and Fly Ash bricks.

Prefabricated building products for roofing, door-frames using Cleaner Production Systems

Low Water sanitation systems Water recycling and treatment

systems Passive design techniques

Current Best Practice – Policy Measures

Mandatory use of Fly-Ash in all buildings 100 kms from source of ash

Part-Limestone replacement by Fly-Ash in cement

Banning of moveable chimney brick kilns and sand mining and soil extraction in some sates

Market linked fossil fuels price Energy Conservation Building Energy

Codes

Mainstreaming Alternatives – A Case of Fly-Ash

Fly-ash bricks – Public policy Technology solution Equipment providers Competitive pricing Appropriate scales of

production that range from micro to medium and off-site and on-site systems

Thrust Areas

Technical Knowledge &

Skill

Business and Finance

Policy & Regulation

Imperatives for mainstreaming Policy environment

Mandatory public procurement guidelines to include green materials

Fiscal incentives and priority financing for SMEs to facilitate setting up green building material production facilities

Clean technology (pollution) norms for all material production systems increasing competitive value for cleaner production

Imperatives for mainstreaming Technical supports and

services Training of contractors,

artisans and engineers Certification of skills for

green construction Standard specifications,

construction details, best practice benchmarks and eco-mark for building materials

Imperatives for mainstreaming Business

Environment Land and infrastructure

supports for SMEs Aggregation services

that enable developers to access green materials at scale

Industry partnerships and investments for Green Material production and delivery

Gaps – what the elected legislators must do

Recognize that the socio-economic development of your electorate depends on a robust and healthy eco-system.

Ask for / demand your ministries and science-policy research institutes to provide environmental cost-benefits of development strategies and plans – short medium and long term

Raise the issue of long term development based on sound environmental knowledge in public and parliamentary debates

Promote greener / low carbon development options in your constituencies – show by example

Track the development progress in your constituency through an environmental lens

Thank You for your patience.