Global leaders to gather for 17th GRIHA Summit on 'Innovate to Act for a Climate Resilient World'

Global leaders are set to gather in New Delhi on November 3-4 for the 17th GRIHA Summit, themed 'Innovate to Act for a Climate Resilient World', to drive scalable climate solutions for India's built environment.Organised by the GRIHA Council, the summit will feature over 50 eminent speakers across four plenary and four technical sessions, along with three innovation-driven exhibition pavilions, according to a statement issued by the organisers.Discussions will focus on policy frameworks, technology advancements, market mechanisms, and partnerships to strengthen the resilience of cities, infrastructure, and communities.Key speakers invited include Srinivas Katikithala, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; May-Elin Stener, Ambassador of Norway; Ashish Khanna, Director General, International Solar Alliance; and Sanjay Kulshrestha, CMD, HUDCO. Acclaimed actor Gulshan Grover will grace the valedictory ceremony as Guest of Honour.Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI, and President, GRIHA Council, said, "As we rethink how our cities grow and our infrastructure evolves, innovation must guide every stage - from design to execution.

The 17th GRIHA Summit will foster dialogue on the need to integrate resilience, efficiency, and circularity as central pillars of sustainable development." It is only through collective commitment and continuous innovation that habitats which nurture both people and the planet can be created, Dhawan said.Sanjay Seth, Vice President & CEO, GRIHA Council, added, "We are standing at a turning point wherein climate action must now shift from 'intent to implementation' and 'ambition to action' with the built environment becoming a catalyst for low-carbon, resilient and inclusive growth.

Our collective efforts today will determine how effectively we build a low-carbon, adaptive, and inclusive tomorrow.".Over two days, subject experts will explore India's transition toward inclusive, low-carbon growth, focusing on energy security, climate pedagogy, resilient infrastructure, and community-driven climate action.Thematic sessions will address climate-smart water security, low-carbon building materials, urban air quality solutions, and circular economy models.Notable speakers include Anil Razdan, former power secretary; Leena Nandan, former secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Yevgeniya Pozigun, senior associate at Zaha Hadid Architects; Daniel Joseph Whittaker of Singapore University of Technology and Design; Peter Graham, CEO Global Buildings Performance Network; TERI's R R Rashmi, and Saurabh Kumar, vice president, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet.The Summit will also feature Nirmaan Exhibition that will showcase cutting-edge sustainable technologies and products, including a Building-Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) facade demonstration and an architectural design competition gallery.A new publication, 'GRIHA Infrastructure Rating for Metro Stations,' will also be launched, developed in collaboration with BMRCL, to assess the environmental performance of metro stations nationwide.The GRIHA Rating Awards and Felicitation Ceremony will honour exemplary 4-Star and 5-Star projects in sustainable construction. Ahead of the summit, a Green Building Tour on November 1 will take participants to Uttarakhand Niwas, New Delhi, a 5-Star GRIHA-rated project showcasing best practices in sustainable design.GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) is India's indigenous green building rating system, jointly developed by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). Recognized by the Government of India under its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the UNFCCC, GRIHA provides a comprehensive framework to evaluate and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from habitats.