Mahindra Group & Johnson Controls collabs for net zero buildings initiative

The collaborative effort would streamline the process of obtaining essential data and materials to assist organisations in initiating their net-zero building endeavours.

Mahindra Group, one of India’s top industrial companies, and Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI), the world leader in smart, healthy, and sustainable building technologies, announce the first-ever Net Zero Buildings Initiative to decarbonise India’s commercial, urban residential, and public buildings. This initiative comes as India steps up efforts to decarbonise its rapidly expanding building infrastructure.

“At Mahindra, we strongly believe in operating as a ‘Planet Positive’ organisation. The group has undertaken multiple initiatives to decarbonise our operational infrastructure, leading to both financially and environmentally beneficial outcomes. We also understand the critical role of collaboration in accelerating a sustainable future and hence join hands with Johnson Controls, leaders in net zero building solutions, to share our learnings and best practices with everyone,” says Abanti Sankaranarayanan, Chief Group Public Affairs Officer and Group Executive Board Member.

The International Energy Agency estimates that three-quarters of India’s projected building stock by 2040 is still unbuilt. The industry is responsible for 20 percent of the nation’s emissions and over 30 percent of its energy use, making the switch to smart and sustainable buildings both environmentally and financially necessary.

“With India on the cusp of a building revolution, now is the time to actualise the benefits of smart and green buildings for India’s economy and society,” says George Oliver, Chairman and CEO of Johnson Controls. “The joining together of our two companies to develop this unique initiative is a natural fit—leveraging Johnson Controls’ leadership in smart building technology and Mahindra’s renowned multi-industry expertise and reach. We believe it will help guide and inspire a movement towards a more sustainable built environment, both in India and beyond.”

The Net Zero Buildings Initiative will assist building and facility owners in learning about best practices for sustainable building, implementing tools to assess building parameters, identifying and implementing conservation measures, and comprehending building regulations in India, available incentives, technology, financing models, and more. The initiative consists of a cost-free, comprehensive toolkit and training.

“This collaboration is a statement of intent from the construction industry to support the Indian government’s journey towards the low-carbon pathway of development. I’d like to congratulate the Mahindra Group and Johnson Controls International for providing much-needed momentum to this movement. Built infrastructure is responsible for 40 percent of the global energy-related emissions today, and most of the built environment in India’s cities is yet to be constructed. We must integrate sustainability and climate resilience into the life cycle of the built environment. Sustainability has been an article of faith for this government, and no developing country has ever steered away from the high carbon path of development as profoundly as India has done,” says Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs & Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas

When compared to traditional buildings, energy-efficient infrastructure investments may result in a 40–60 percent reduction in electricity use. India Energy Outlook 2021 states that by 2030, even a 30 percent increase in building energy efficiency may save over 250 TWh of electricity, meaning a sizable amount of electrical energy could be returned to the grid to support economic growth.

The Mahindra Group has seen increases in energy productivity in its factories of over 90 percent, in its resorts by Mahindra Holidays, in its auto and farm sectors, and in Mahindra Lifespaces’ debut of Mahindra Eden, India’s first Net Zero Energy Residential building, which is projected to save more than 1.8 million kWh of electricity annually. Mahindra Logistics is also making investments to construct energy-efficient warehouses.

As part of the project, think tanks, industry associations, and the national and state governments of India will collaborate closely with Mahindra and Johnson Controls to develop policies and frameworks, as well as to provide more insight into the process of producing data to support climate progress reporting.

For more info visit: https://www.johnsoncontrols.com/ , https://www.mahindra.com/

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