Founded in 2016 by Architect Kumar Shashwat,
Development 2050 is a startup that aims to provide solutions to the construction industry for sustainable development of Delhi Region and beyond. It has taken on the noble pursuit to respond to the massive challenges of climate change and urbanization in the world through its efforts. Their tagline is- saving the planet through sustainable development for 2050. They provide eco-friendly and innovative construction solutions for a diverse range of projects in everything from planning buildings to designing cities, all with sustainability as its core value.
According to United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), buildings use about 40% of global energy and many other eco parameters of similar range. The Delhi Region is suffering from severe pollution problems, an unhealthy environment that’s almost making it uninhabitable in certain pockets as per environment indicators, not to mention the deadly Delhi smog last year. The construction industry is one of the major producers of carbon emissions, consumer of energy and environment polluter across the globe. Looking at the rapid pace of urbanization and threats of climate change in Delhi Region there is a great need to adopt sustainability as the underlying principle for the multiple stakeholders to attain resilient development.
Development 2050 are also building a strong community of people who believe in natural resource conservation as a way of life and are working in collaboration with many environment non-profits of Delhi Region to organize public engagement programs. “Change has to come from within our society and we believe in empowering people for indigenous models of development that recognizes microclimate and local culture through awareness and participation,” Kumar Shashwat, founder.
Development 2050, in collaboration with social partner Save Aravali Trust, has taken many project initiatives of sustainable development in public interest. In the last one year the consortium has also got selected in three international competitions across the globe. Their project selected in Russia is about developing eco connection spots (variant of eco-tourism) in the abandoned mining lakes of Aravali forest in Faridabad to connect the general masses of Delhi Region with the natural heritage of Aravali. Their project selected in Netherlands is about developing a park for children in the vacant plots of slum areas of Faridabad city to promote urban greenery as well as ensuring a healthy childhood for kids of poor families. Their project selected in Italy is about building 1000 groundwater recharge systems in Faridabad city to overcome the critical challenges of water scarcity and water logging in the city. These projects will soon be exhibited in Rome in April 2017.
For the future of course of action in next 2 years Shashwat says that, “In our social projects we are in process of collaboration with institutions like JNU Delhi as the knowledge partners and looking out to build the financial pool through corporate sponsorship, grants and crowd funding. On the other front, we are close to finalizing deals with real estate developers and big contractors and going to create an impact with reforms in the private sectors.”
Development 2050 aims to change the whole dynamics of construction industry in Delhi Region and beyond in future, hopes to gain support from multiple stakeholders, sponsors, general people, and emerge as a saviour to enormously improve the quality of life through its sustainable development projects for the 45 million people living here in Delhi Region.
