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Lodha’s Roadmap to Net-Zero: Where Success and Sustainability Meet

By Lodha

Our commitment to transition to net zero resonates with our ethos of providing our consumers with greener and healthier homes while aligning with the global sentiment surrounding climate concerns. Our science-based approach and innovations allow us to spearhead the industry’s shift to a low-carbon future and match India’s vision of becoming a net-zero economy by 2070.

Carbon Neutrality in our Operations

March 2024 marked the month we achieved carbon neutrality in our operations concerning Scope 1 and 2 emissions. To reach our sustainable development goal, we switched to renewable resources and improved energy efficiency across our construction projects and owned assets. To make up for the remaining emissions we relied on carbon credits.

While our share of renewable energy use in our overall electricity consumption as of March 2022 was 30.2%, it rose to 98% in March 2024. Our transition to renewable energy has helped us:

• Minimising our carbon footprint
• Contribute to the growth of clean energy infrastructure.
• Align with India’s net-zero commitment of 2070.
• Integrate renewable resources across our construction sites and owned assets.

As of 2024, our Scope 1 and 2 emissions make up for only 0.3% of our total GHG emissions and we only strive to bring down the quantity further. Meanwhile, our switch to renewable energy aligns with our sustainability philosophy and serves as a precedent for others in our industry. Our roadmap to net zero has also helped us engage, understand and address concerns across our supply chain and customer base.

Decarbonising our Supply Chain (Scope 3 Emissions � Upstream)[AA1]�

Our decarbonisation strategy focuses on reducing emissions from purchased goods and services that make up 28.3% of our total emissions. To that end, we conducted an extensive benchmarking exercise to determine the quantity of embodied carbon associated with which construction material and in what proportion. Such data can help us work towards decreasing our carbon intensity via interventions and innovative techniques.

� Green Concrete Mixes

One of our solutions has been to use green concrete mixes- which is what we used to top out a 23-storey building. The triple blend concrete mix (OPC, Fly Ash, GGBS) is a low-carbon alternative resulting in an outstanding 36.75% reduction in embodied carbon compared with conventional concrete mix. Read more about it here.

� Low-carbon Material

We recently partnered with IIT-Delhi for the pilot use of an innovative blend, LC3 (limestone calcined clay cement) to find a commercial use case; this blend can help achieve up to 40% reduction in emissions compared to an Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). Preliminary trials have been completed and we expect the pilot to be completed within FY25.

Additionally, we endeavour to create an efficient and optimised design that encourages dematerialisation, improved circularity and reduced waste production.

Energy used in our projects (Scope 3 Emissions � Downstream)

Emissions associated with the energy used by residents in our developments account for approximately 70% of our total emissions. Our strategies to reduce the carbon intensity in this category include:

• Reducing energy demand through climate-conscious passive design measures.
• Integrating nature-based solutions for urban cooling.
• Promoting the adoption of super-efficient equipment.
• Conducting customer awareness programs.
• Transition to renewable energy sources.

Key Achievements So Far:

Improving the energy efficiency of the buildings

We have improved the energy efficiency of our projects by using architectural elements such as:

• Window-to-wall ratio and natural ventilation
• Using high-performance single-layer glass to reduce energy needs.
• Conducting climate analysis at the design stage to reduce cooling demands.

Market Transformation & Adoption of Super-Efficient Appliances

At Lodha, we have realised that space cooling could account for up to 45% of household electricity use by 2050. To help lighten the load, we have proactively updated our procurement policies to include the installation of BEE 5-star rated air conditioners and fans across most of our developments. To date, we have installed units equivalent to around 40,000 tonnes of cooling capacity, across our projects. Additionally, through the marketplace in our app, Bellevie, we aim to actively promote the adoption of super-efficient appliances to further reduce energy consumption.

Global Cooling Prize

The Global Cooling Prize is an international competition that has encouraged the development of energy-efficient air conditioning units that have a significantly lower climate impact. Embracing the spirit of the competition, we are conducting tests on state-of-the-art AC prototypes at Palava.

UrjaAnk: Elevating Energy Awareness in Indian Homes

We have introduced the UrjaAnk initiative to change energy consumption habits in Indian homes. The program will evaluate household energy patterns, create benchmarks to compare with international standards and identify areas for improvement. Through detailed analysis, UrjaAnk will use data to empower homeowners, developers and policymakers, fostering targeted energy-saving measures such as appliance upgrades, improvements in Building Design and optimized heating and cooling systems.

Partnership with Third Derivative (D3)

We have forged a strategic partnership with D3, the start-up incubator arm of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). This collaboration is designed to harness the creativity and ingenuity of start-ups, providing them with the support and resources needed to develop practical and cross-cutting technologies.

At Lodha, we believe that by taking bold steps toward sustainable real estate, we can scale climate technology in India and strive to achieve global standards in sustainability. We can also de-risk our nation’s lifetime growth opportunity by achieving climate and energy security while boosting our economy. We hope to take this path of growing responsibly and demonstrate to the world that growth and emissions can be decoupled