India Office Carbon Emissions: Circular Fit-Outs Reduce 25-55%

New Delhi, Jun 10 (PTI) Carbon emissions in office complexes can be reduced by 25-55 per cent with the use of sustainable and reusable materials while doing interior fit-outs, according to Savills India.

Real estate consultant Savills India's latest report, 'The Circular Leap: Reimagining India's Office Fit-Outs', noted that the circular fit-out strategies would cost 10-15 per cent more initially, but the long-term benefit is immense.

"The use of low-carbon, high-reuse materials can reduce embodied carbon emissions in fit-outs by 25-55 per cent, lowering environmental impact without compromising functionality," the consultant said.

The circular fit-outs might cost 10-15 per cent more upfront, but the capital expenditure would get recovered in the long term, it added.

"Office fit-outs play a critical yet often overlooked role in the transformation of India's built environment. The materials used in interiors, together with their production, transportation, and frequent replacement, make a substantial contribution to a building's embodied carbon emissions," the report said.

Savills noted that the built environment accounts for 30-40 per cent of annual global carbon emissions.


The consultant pointed out that interior-related impacts represent a considerable proportion of total emissions.

Sumit Rakshit, Managing Director, Project Management Services, Savills India, said, "India's transition towards circular office fit-outs is expected to be evolutionary rather than immediate.

When embedded into project planning from the outset, circular interiors can significantly reduce lifecycle costs, programme risk, and material waste, he added.

On the benefits of adopting circular fit out strategies, Savills said that the lower embodied carbon helps in attracting high-quality tenants and support stronger rental returns.

Commenting on the report, Shruti Singh, co-founder of Carbon Guardians, "Over the next 5-7 years, circular and low-embodied-carbon fit-outs are likely to become standard in Grade-A and flexible offices. Early moving landlords may gain differentiation, premium rents, and reduced downtime, lowering life cycle risks."

Broad adoption, however, will hinge on ecosystem maturity, with the fastest progress in top-tier cities and best-in-class developments before broader market diffusion, she said.

Sumeet Popli, Founder and CEO of Biome Sustainability Ventures of Savills India, said, "Interior fit-outs are the built environment's largest unaddressed embodied carbon opportunity. The 25–55 per cent reduction potential the report identifies is both ambitious and achievable - but only if material innovation meets policy momentum at the right moment."