World Construction Network

Daily Newsletter

08 August 2023

Daily Newsletter

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) in India has announced its plans to build a new facility for the fire department at Lohianagar, Bhavani Peth, Maharashtra, India.

The new multistorey facility will replace the existing structure at the Central Fire Station, which is in a dilapidated condition.

Municipal commissioner Vikram Kumar approved the new building’s development and selected Noble Construction as the contractor for this project, reported the Hindustan Times.

Additional municipal commissioner Vikas Dhakane was quoted by the publication as saying: “The current building in Bhavani Peth. The PMC plans to construct a modern building [fire station] with all the necessary facilities. The administration had put forth the proposal and it was approved by the commissioner.”

The facility will include parking for firefighters, offices for fire department employees, a classroom to accommodate 50 firefighters, an auditorium, and a café.

The Central Fire Station's PR officer Nilesh Mahajan was quoted by the Pune Mirror as saying: “The very first red colour, single-storied building, on the right side after the gate, where the fire tenders are parked, will be demolished and a multistorey structure will be constructed in its place.

“The current structure is in a run-down condition and needs to be redeveloped. The second gate will come up behind this fire tender parking building. The new access will be only for visitors, with a parking area.

“Along with the new amenities, there will be residential quarters for the chief and the deputy chief fire officers, a gym, an auditorium, and a digital classroom for training sessions for firemen. Even the control room will be shifted to the new building furnished with the latest equipment and a larger floor space.”

ESG 2.0 marks a shift towards stricter environmental rules

ESG is moving into a different era, which we call ESG 2.0. While ESG 1.0 was driven by voluntary corporate action, spurred by pressure from activist consumers and investors, ESG 2.0 is being driven by a new wave of government policies. The EU has taken the regulatory lead, with rules introduced or in the pipeline that will price emissions, regulate the use of the terms ‘ESG’ and ‘sustainability’ in marketing materials, and make ESG reporting mandatory. The US has taken a different approach, favoring less regulation and more financial support in the form of tax breaks for clean industry (renewables plus nuclear and hydrogen). China is planning to expand its emissions trading system to more sectors, decarbonize its heavy industry, and ramp up its use of renewables. The new policy direction is mainly motivated by the ambition to hit net zero emissions targets. But on top of this, governments are now competing for clean industry and trying to challenge China’s leadership on the production of the world’s green technologies such as solar panels and batteries, as well as the production and refinement of materials needed for energy transition such as lithium. These driving forces are leading to policy that will impact every sector, not just heavy industry, and will keep ESG near the top of the regulatory agenda over the longer term.