Estimating residential building material demand for Ahmedabad 2050 and its impact on CO2 emissions

Urban areas have received increasing attention as key areas to accelerate and upscale climate change. Several Indian cities are witnessing a huge demand for residential buildings, and consequently, for energy-intensive building materials. Using the case study of Ahmedabad city in western India, the...

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Main Authors: Chaitali Trivedi, Minal Pathak, Bhargav Adhvaryu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1088/2634-4505/ad9e6e
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author Chaitali Trivedi
Minal Pathak
Bhargav Adhvaryu
author_facet Chaitali Trivedi
Minal Pathak
Bhargav Adhvaryu
author_sort Chaitali Trivedi
collection DOAJ
description Urban areas have received increasing attention as key areas to accelerate and upscale climate change. Several Indian cities are witnessing a huge demand for residential buildings, and consequently, for energy-intensive building materials. Using the case study of Ahmedabad city in western India, the study used a bottom-up methodology to develop a methodological framework for estimating the material demand for the residential sector by 2050. The objective of the study was to estimate future housing stock for Ahmedabad and its impact on material demand and CO2 emissions this study adopted a mixed-method approach. The estimated material demand (EMD) for 2050 was derived from the calculated total constructed floor area (CFA) and quantity of material consumption per square meter. The total CFA is calculated using percentages of different housing types, unit sizes, and building height. Using trend analyses data from the last 50 years (1965–2015) and forecasts for the different building typologies, future floor space was estimated. Quantitative research was further strengthened by conducting semi-structured interviews with 16 experts. The results show a residential building typologies over time, with a decline in independent houses and an increase in multistoried apartments by 2050. With the continuation of current trends, 3.1 million new housing units will need to be constructed by 2050. Without policy intervention, 45.6 Mt of cement, 13.3 Mt of steel, and 150 Mt of bricks would be required resulting in 178.1 MtCO _2 emissions. The EMD establishes the need to adopt alternative sustainable pathways, including reducing the demand for floor space, and adopting resource efficiency and circular economic principles for building materials. The paper concludes with recommendations for Ahmedabad, which can be replicated in other Indian cities. Future studies could explore alternative scenarios of urban development and how approaches to sufficiency or efficiency can alter material consumption.
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spelling doaj-art-3ef045106eaf4fc0bfdc486a6cea23d02025-01-10T15:45:27ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability2634-45052025-01-015101500210.1088/2634-4505/ad9e6eEstimating residential building material demand for Ahmedabad 2050 and its impact on CO2 emissionsChaitali Trivedi0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8134-3643Minal Pathak1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9474-0485Bhargav Adhvaryu2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8919-9022Global Centre for Environment and Energy, Ahmedabad University , Commerce Six Roads, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380009, India; Department of Architecture, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda , Pratapgunj, Vadodara, Gujarat, 390002, IndiaGlobal Centre for Environment and Energy, Ahmedabad University , Commerce Six Roads, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380009, IndiaAmrut Mody School of Management, Ahmedabad University , Commerce Six Roads, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380009, IndiaUrban areas have received increasing attention as key areas to accelerate and upscale climate change. Several Indian cities are witnessing a huge demand for residential buildings, and consequently, for energy-intensive building materials. Using the case study of Ahmedabad city in western India, the study used a bottom-up methodology to develop a methodological framework for estimating the material demand for the residential sector by 2050. The objective of the study was to estimate future housing stock for Ahmedabad and its impact on material demand and CO2 emissions this study adopted a mixed-method approach. The estimated material demand (EMD) for 2050 was derived from the calculated total constructed floor area (CFA) and quantity of material consumption per square meter. The total CFA is calculated using percentages of different housing types, unit sizes, and building height. Using trend analyses data from the last 50 years (1965–2015) and forecasts for the different building typologies, future floor space was estimated. Quantitative research was further strengthened by conducting semi-structured interviews with 16 experts. The results show a residential building typologies over time, with a decline in independent houses and an increase in multistoried apartments by 2050. With the continuation of current trends, 3.1 million new housing units will need to be constructed by 2050. Without policy intervention, 45.6 Mt of cement, 13.3 Mt of steel, and 150 Mt of bricks would be required resulting in 178.1 MtCO _2 emissions. The EMD establishes the need to adopt alternative sustainable pathways, including reducing the demand for floor space, and adopting resource efficiency and circular economic principles for building materials. The paper concludes with recommendations for Ahmedabad, which can be replicated in other Indian cities. Future studies could explore alternative scenarios of urban development and how approaches to sufficiency or efficiency can alter material consumption.https://doi.org/10.1088/2634-4505/ad9e6ehousingbuilding materialsCo2 emissionsconstructed floor areamaterial demand
spellingShingle Chaitali Trivedi
Minal Pathak
Bhargav Adhvaryu
Estimating residential building material demand for Ahmedabad 2050 and its impact on CO2 emissions
Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability
housing
building materials
Co2 emissions
constructed floor area
material demand
title Estimating residential building material demand for Ahmedabad 2050 and its impact on CO2 emissions
title_full Estimating residential building material demand for Ahmedabad 2050 and its impact on CO2 emissions
title_fullStr Estimating residential building material demand for Ahmedabad 2050 and its impact on CO2 emissions
title_full_unstemmed Estimating residential building material demand for Ahmedabad 2050 and its impact on CO2 emissions
title_short Estimating residential building material demand for Ahmedabad 2050 and its impact on CO2 emissions
title_sort estimating residential building material demand for ahmedabad 2050 and its impact on co2 emissions
topic housing
building materials
Co2 emissions
constructed floor area
material demand
url https://doi.org/10.1088/2634-4505/ad9e6e
work_keys_str_mv AT chaitalitrivedi estimatingresidentialbuildingmaterialdemandforahmedabad2050anditsimpactonco2emissions
AT minalpathak estimatingresidentialbuildingmaterialdemandforahmedabad2050anditsimpactonco2emissions
AT bhargavadhvaryu estimatingresidentialbuildingmaterialdemandforahmedabad2050anditsimpactonco2emissions