India's concrete skyline is a carbon emissions blindspot: why construction sector emissions matter

India's rapid urbanisation is driving a construction boom, but the carbon emissions from concrete and buildings are largely ignored in climate debates. This article from Scroll.in explains how the construction sector, driven by market forces rather than environmental norms, has become a major source of emissions. The focus is on embodied carbon, the emissions from producing materials like cement and steel, which are often overlooked in favor of operational energy use. The piece highlights that India's building stock is expected to double by 2030, making it critical to address these emissions now. Without policy intervention, the carbon locked into new buildings will lock in decades of emissions. The authors argue for stronger urban planning norms, material efficiency, and low-carbon construction practices to close this blindspot. For anyone tracking decarbonization, this is a reminder that buildings are not just energy consumers but also carbon stores. The article calls for a shift in how we measure and regulate emissions in the construction sector, a topic that deserves more attention in climate policy discussions.