The Realty+ Harit Bharat Leadership Summit brought together the experts from various industries to ensure some meaningful discussions & dialogues and to recognise the change makers.
Held on October 4 in Mumbai, the event Powered by Xylo Paints, Co Partner was LIC Housing Finance Ltd and Industry Partners were GBCI, IGBC, GRIHA, IPA helped raise awareness around eco-friendly solutions.
MEANINGFUL INTERACTIONS
The first conversation on Climate Change & Development kicked off between Sapna Srivastava Editor Realty+, Shabbir Kanchwala, Principal, Global network for Zero, USA and renowned environmentalist Sumaira Abdulali, Convenor, Awaaz Foundation on how development & climate sensitivity can go hand in hand and it’s a matter of having right intention on part of the decision makers.
The panel discussion on Corporate ESG Strategy: Quest for Developing a Blueprint led by Nitesh Mehrotra, Partner – Sustainability & ESG, EY India along with Bose Varghese, Senior Director- ESG, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Chhavi Lal, Principal, Perkins Eastman, Mumbai, Dr. Mala Singh, Board Of Director, USA, Executive Director – India, ESG & Carbon Services & Founder & CMD, PEC Greening India Group, Dr. Pradeep Panigrahi, Head - Corporate Sustainability, Larsen & Toubro, Dr. Sunita Purushottam, Head – Sustainability, Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd., opined that in addition to environment, there is a rising focus on social and governance aspect of ESG nowadays which is a positive development.
The Spotlight session with Kannan Krishnamurthy, Director, Xylo Paints focused on remedies to ensure durable buildings with longer life span. In conversation with Sapna Srivastava, Editor Realty+, he shared the benefits of new paint technologies such as no requirement of sanding the surface that causes dust which is harmful to health & environment and no primer, which means lesser use of resources.
The panel deliberating on Commercial Real Estate: Mission Net Zero chaired by Mili Majumdar, Senior Vice President. U.S. Green Building Council Ltd with experts Anubhav Saxena, Dy. General Manager - ESG & Sustainability, Decarbonisation, Data Analytics, K Raheja Corp, Deepa Parekh, Sustainability Coach, Net Zero Education Expert, Isha Anand, Associate Director, RMZ Corp, Karandeep Singh Nanda, Head - Operations, West Region, Embassy Services Pvt. Ltd., Khurshed Gandhi, Managing Director, Strategic Consulting, Cushman & Wakefield India concurred that the need for data and metrics to measure results was critical if we are to aim for mission net zero.
The session deliberating on Building Green Housing: Thinking Out Of Box Technologies was moderated by Dhwani Talati-Padiyar, Director, CBRE SE Asia, Head- ESG & Sustainability, Technical Due Diligence and speakers were Dr. Amit Chaudhari, Associate Director, Head MEP & Infrastructure KPM Design Services Pvt Ltd. Hardik Pandit, Director, Apices Design Studio Pvt Ltd, Sameer Sinha, Director, Savvy Infrastructure Pvt Ltd., Sonali Dhopte, BIM Consultant and Technical Director, Excelize, Tejwant Navalkar, Executive Director, DFX Systems Pvt Ltd. The spears were unanimous on the critical role of technology in achieving sustainability and stated the consumers should demand green features while selecting a project.
The dialogue on the subject of Eco-friendly Construction Materials – For Building A Better Tomorrow with Deben Moza, Sr. Executive Director Head of Project Management Services, Knight Frank (India) Pvt. Ltd. as moderator and panel comprising Anagha Paranjape-Purohit, Partner, VK:e environmental LLP, Pune Trustee, Sustainability Initiatives, Ashish Rakheja, Managing Partner, AEON Integrated Building Design Consultants LLP, Pankaj Dharkar, Founder-President – Pankaj Dharkar & Associates (PDA), Rakesh Bhatia Sr. Vice President, Ecofirst, Shabnam Bassi, Deputy CEO-cum-Secretary & Treasurer, GRIHA Council emphasized that while eco-friendly products are now widely available, it is the lifestyle changes on part of the people that will make a real difference.
The final panel of the summit on Brands Going Green: Scaling Up Eco-Centric Products & Solutions chaired by Gurmit Singh Arora, Chairman - CII-IGBC, MD – Rajco Group, & National President, IPA with industry experts Aditi Kulkarni, Associate Director – Sustainability, Buro Happold India, Arpita Roy Luthra, Head Marketing – Boards & Panels, Everest Industries Ltd, Raja Mukherjee, Head - Business Group and Sr.Vice President - Lighting Business, Panasonic, Shibani Jain- Founder & CEO Baaya Design, Sourabh Bansal, Co-founder and Managing Director, Magicrete was of the view that the sustainable products make a business sense as, they are now mandated by building codes and driven by consumer demand.
AWARDING THE DESERVING
The enlightening discussions, candid conversations and meaningful deliberations were followed by the glittering evening of awards presentations to the climate warriors. The winners were selected by an eminent jury for their contribution in sustainability and setting an example for others.