Green finance in the built environment: Mapping India’s opportunity

Build Ahead’s latest working paper explores how India’s green housing finance ecosystem can evolve to unlock sustainable growth in the built environment, and maps current financing instruments, assesses institutional readiness and identifies pathways to scale certified green lending through collaboration among financiers, developers and certification bodies. This marks the first step towards a shared roadmap for mainstreaming green capital in India’s construction and real estate sectors.

Decarbonising the built environment: Cement and concrete technology catalogue

India is entering one of the largest construction cycles in history—amid intensifying climate risks and a fast-approaching net-zero horizon. With embodied carbon already accounting for around 30% of built environment emissions—and set to reach 50% by 2050—there’s an urgent need to decarbonise the materials that shape our cities. Cement and concrete alone contribute roughly 45% of a building’s embodied carbon. …

Accelerating green hydrogen: Unlocking India’s technological prowess

India is at a pivotal moment in the green hydrogen transition. With world-class renewable resources, deep engineering capabilities, and a fast-maturing innovation ecosystem, the country can lead the next wave of clean industrial growth. The question is no longer “if” — it’s “how fast” we can move from promising prototypes to commercial deployment at scale.

Leaders’ Lens: Sam Preece

Meet Sam Preece, Xynteo’s newest Partner, a sustainability veteran with an impressive 25-year career that’s seen him navigate the complex worlds of investment funds, global consultancies like PwC, and leadership roles at major firms such as AECOM.

Future of mobility: Beyond the blueprint, overcoming barriers to boost usage

As EV adoption surges, the true test of clean mobility is no longer vision—it’s usability. Are chargers installed on time? Do they work reliably? Can drivers pay easily, see real‑time availability, and trust support when something fails? Without a seamless installation and usage experience, networks risk low utilisation, higher costs, and stalled deployment.

Unlocking a greener future through sustainable mining

Mining remains one of India’s most critical sectors—powering energy security, supplying essential raw materials, and generating over 10 million jobs annually, particularly in remote and tribal regions. Yet, at just 1.5% of GDP, India’s mining sector delivers far less value than other mineral-rich geographies like Australia and Canada.

Green hydrogen in India’s petroleum refining and petrochemical sector

As India accelerates its journey toward net zero, the decarbonisation of its petroleum refining and petrochemical sector stands as a critical frontier. Yet, the transition is complex. The sector faces a unique set of challenges: high capital costs, evolving policy frameworks, and the need for robust supply chains and infrastructure.

Beyond the borrowed year: Our path to reclaiming Earth’s future

Earth Overshoot Day is a stark reminder that humanity, yet again, will have exhausted nature’s annual bounty and begun to accrue an ecological debt. But this date, while sobering, is also a powerful call to action. It’s a precise measure of our challenge and, crucially, a target for our collective ambition. How do we #MoveTheDate?

Strategic enablers for a sustainable built environment

As India’s construction boom reshapes skylines and communities, the built environment stands at a critical inflection point. With the sector responsible for nearly a third of the nation’s emissions—and 60% of the building stock needed by 2050 yet to be built—the choices we make today will define India’s climate legacy for generations. The stakes are high: without bold, systemic action, …