Sindh Green Buildings Initiative: A pathway to energy efficient and climate resilient urban development
Sindh’s rapidly growing urban centres face mounting challenges from climate change and unplanned urbanisation. Rising temperatures, diminishing green spaces, and increased energy demands call for a radical shift in how we design and build. To address this challenge, GIZ Pakistan, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), is supporting the Sindh Green Buildings Initiative to promote climate resilient and energy efficient construction practices across the province.
Why This Matters: The Need for Greener Construction Practices
As Pakistan’s most urbanised and second-most densely populated province, Sindh faces distinct environmental and infrastructural challenges, especially in major cities like Karachi, which is home to more than 20 million people. These include lack of building insulation, inefficient heating and cooling systems, rising energy costs, and increased exposure to climate change impacts such as prolonged heatwaves and deteriorating air quality. Existing building bylaws in Sindh lack comprehensive energy efficiency provisions, leading to high operational costs and unsustainable energy consumption patterns. Through this initiative, Sindh aims to localise the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC-2023) and incorporate sustainable design elements such as rainwater harvesting, building insulation, green roofs, and energy efficient systems into official regulations.
What’s Happening: From Dialogue to Action
In December 2024, the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and the Buildings Energy Research Centre (BERC) identified areas of collaboration to embed energy efficiency and conservation practices into Sindh’s construction framework. The partnership gained momentum with a series of impactful events in early 2025.
- Trainings on ECBC-2023 compliance tools were conducted for Institute of Architects Pakistan (IAP) and SBCA staff, equipping them with practical knowledge on life cycle analysis, embodied carbon calculations, and digital compliance tools.
- Strategic stakeholder meetings helped formalise the initiative, revise building bylaws and chart an implementation roadmap tailored to Sindh’s local needs.
- The official launch of the Energy Conservation Building Code 2023 (ECBC-2023) was organised by BERC in collaboration with the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (NEECA) and the Sindh Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (SEECA) to familiarise key stakeholders with ECBC-2023’s core principles, regulatory requirements, practical benefits and its integration into Sindh’s regulatory framework and construction sector. The event brought together policymakers, engineers, and industry leaders showcasing the importance of transitioning towards energy efficient building norms.
- Formation of a committee, notified by the Director General of SBCA, to oversee and implement the necessary bylaw amendments for the successful adoption of ECBC-2023 and the Sindh Green Buildings Initiative (SGBI).
Who Is Driving the Change: A Multi-Stakeholder Endeavour
The Sindh Green Buildings Initiative is a multi-stakeholder endeavour led by SBCA with technical support from BERC. The initiative is one of the outcomes of the BMZ funded project “Transformation of the Construction Sector: A Pathway Towards Clean, Green, and Sustainable Buildings” which is supported by GIZ Pakistan and implemented by BERC in close collaboration with NEECA.
Where It’s Happening: Scope of Implementation
The initiative is being rolled out across Sindh, starting with Karachi and expanding to Hyderabad and Sukkur. Regional adaptations of ECBC-2023 and digital deployment of compliance tools are central to ensuring province-wide implementation.
What’s Next: A Greener Tomorrow
The next steps include training workshops, seminars and deployment of compliance tools on SBCA’s digital platform. Stakeholder consultations and public awareness campaigns will further anchor energy efficiency and conservation principles in urban development.
Driven by the vision to promote energy efficiency, environmentally friendly solutions and efficient use of resources in the construction sector, Germany is supporting Pakistan to make the construction industry eco-friendly by using sustainable building materials, reducing energy use on construction sites, and extending the lifespan of existing buildings.
Supporting the construction transition to promote energy efficiency in buildings in Pakistan