The Asia-Pacific Sustainability Index 2021 has brought forth a list of 20 cities in the Asia-Pacific region, that are high on the sustainability quotient. And four cities from India have made it to the list.
Global property consultant, Knight Frank’s APAC Sustainably Led Cities Index rated 36 cities based on urbanization pressure, climate risk, carbon emissions, and government initiatives.
Results
Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai have been rated among the top 20 cities on the index.
The capital city of Karnataka has been ranked 14th in the APAC region. It is the only Indian city to achieve the ‘Gold’ standard category. Delhi has been ranked 17th, Hyderabad has come at the 18th position and Mumbai is 20th on the list. They are ranked in the silver standard category.
Also, Singapore has been ranked the number one green city in the APAC region. It is followed by Sydney, Wellington, Perth, and Melbourne in commercial real estate in the region.
Other Findings
Green bond issuances in India increased by a whopping 523% on a yearly basis, from $1.1 billion in 2020 to $6.8 billion in 2021. India is the sixth-largest country in APAC in terms of the total amount of green bonds issued in 2021.
Owing to the pandemic, green bonds were negatively impacted in 2020. But they made a breakthrough recovery in 2021, exceeding pre-pandemic levels and demonstrating an increase of 116.9% than 2019.
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APAC issued $126 billion in green bonds in 2021, with China issuing the largest amount- $68 billion, which exceeds the combined value of other APAC nations.
Shishir Baijal, chairman and managing director of Knight Frank India, said, “New market dynamics have propelled the growth of sustainable development in India. The global commitment to carbon neutrality and net-zero is firmly focused on creating environmentally-friendly premises has led Indian developers to augment their products to meet the requirements. With more and more occupiers demanding sustainable, green, and well standard buildings, we expect these features to become a universal standard, rather than a novelty, in the foreseeable future.”
