IT is time for companies to move beyond environmental, social and governance (ESG) compliance, and actively embed natural resource efficiency into their core strategies. At the same time, environmentally responsible infrastructure is critical for resilient and inclusive urban growth. These insights were made by ecological economist Hariharan Chandrasekhar, chairman of the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC-Bengaluru Chapter), at a webinar organized by the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) Asia Pacific Regional Advisory Council and Asia Pacific Regional Office on June 12.
Chandrasekhar described the Asia-Pacific region as the “theater of the challenge of sustainability” and highlighted a historic shift in global sustainability focus: from post-war heating issues in northern latitudes to today’s intensifying cooling and water security pressures across the global south.
Hariharan Chandraskhar (left) and Scott Wang, World Trade Centers Association vice president, Asia-Pacific. PHOTO FROM WTCA
Chandrasekhar identified rapid urbanization in countries such as India, China and across Africa as significant stressors. “Cities occupy barely 3 percent of the planet but impact over 98 percent of its ecosystems,” he pointed out.
Then he called for local, scalable responses that prioritize circular systems over extraction-based growth. He urged businesses to critically examine their operational dependencies, citing the increasing risks of long-distance water sourcing and centralized energy systems. As alternatives, he proposed value engineering and circular resource use, emphasizing their resilience and cost-effectiveness.
Drawing on regional rainfall data and facility-level water consumption models, Chandrasekhar illustrated how large industrial campuses could meet their annual water needs entirely through rainwater harvesting. He also challenged the widespread use of reverse osmosis technologies, describing them as unnecessarily carbon-intensive and financially inefficient.
As benchmarks, Chandrasekhar recommended reducing raw water demand by up to 70 percent and energy use by 30 percent. He clarified that these reductions are not about austerity, but about achieving efficiencies through smarter design, supply side diversification and responsible sourcing.
Rapid urbanization can be a huge stressor on natural ecosystems. Metro Manila is surrounded by fog and heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon on July 5, 2025. PHOTO BY RIO DELUVIO
“If you have an ESG compliance, please look at the possibilities of value engineering,” urged Chandrasekhar. “Somewhere, there is some balking when it comes to spending monies on things that can bring higher natural resource efficiency.”
He concluded with a clear message for boardrooms and investors: “If a company is not resource-efficient, it cannot credibly claim to be successful in today’s climate-sensitive economy.”
The WTCA is a network of more than 300 highly connected, mutually supporting businesses and organizations in 92 countries. Through a robust portfolio of events, programming and resources that it offers its members, it helps local economies thrive by encouraging and facilitating trade and investment across the globe through member engagement.
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