Sustainability - Question of Cities

Fighting erosion, climate change in the Sundarbans

The people of the Sundarbans show how they are the force of resilience, battling cyclones, and disrupted livelihoods. Adopting nature-based solutions, they use vetiver as a powerful natural tool to combat soil erosion and understand that protecting the streambanks from…

Mainstreaming green buildings in climate era

More than two decades later, certified green or sustainable buildings account for just over five percent of the constructed stock in India.…

‘The battle is formidable (but) governments are unwilling to push initiatives’

What was triggered off as an idea in the early 2000s with the Green Business Centre in Hyderabad became the green building…

Moving towards sustainable goals brick by brick

The green building movement has been gaining momentum in India with governments doling out incentives. A recent report ranks India third in…

Towards making green buildings a reality in India

Sustainability in the construction sector, especially green buildings, should not be an afterthought but a fundamental component of building design itself. Pointing…

Countries set green examples in buildings

The effects of climate change are visible in all cities across the world. Tackling this through green solutions means buildings that integrate…

Three trends in cities we will closely watch in 2025

As curtains come down on 2024, the hottest year on record, building sustainable cities has become more urgent than ever. What kinds…

COP is broken. Can India call it out, reimagine climate action?

The recently-concluded Conference of Parties, COP29, showed the process is compromised, hijacked by fossil fuels lobbies and developed countries, and unable to come good on climate actions urgently needed by millions in the developing nations, including India. Termed as the…

After COP29: Lessons and actions for urban poor and climate justice

While the role of urban areas in climate mitigation and adaptation efforts has been acknowledged, including at the annual climate summits, questions…

The way forward for urban local bodies to finance climate action

Cities in India are at a preliminary stage of climate actions. A 126-cities survey showed that urban local bodies are spending two-three…