Steering Building Design in India towards net zero with a Whole-Building Carbon Protocol

Rapid urbanisation in India is driving unprecedented growth in the building sector, leading to an exponential rise in building construction material demand and thereby, associated carbon emissions. With buildings contributing nearly 42% of the country’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the sector urgently needs decarbonization. This study applies a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) simulation protocol to quantify whole-building carbon emissions, integrating both embodied and operational carbon impacts.

The simulation protocol was developed and applied to a small office building in a composite climate to establish a baseline and assess the impacts of substituting conventional materials with low-carbon and high-performance alternatives. Results indicate that high-performance solutions (HPS) can achieve up to 12% carbon reduction potential, with walling systems such as AAC blocks demonstrating up to 86% reduction in embodied carbon. These interventions address only 26% of the total emissions, highlighting the need for additional strategies, particularly for systems that use cement and ready-mix concrete.

The study emphasises the need to develop India-specific LCA protocols for carbon calculations and the necessity of mainstreaming LCA in India’s building sector, advocating for regulatory mandates and expanded material databases to drive informed decision-making toward a low-carbon future.