Research fellow: Tanvi Bhatia

Affiliation: Independent Researcher

Research Context:

India's construction boom is driving rapid growth in the brick sector, making traditional brick kilns a significant contributor to carbon emissions due to coal-intensive firing processes. In Kanpur, traditional brick kilns are gradually shifting to cleaner technologies, such as zigzag kilns, while a few enterprises are experimenting with low-carbon alternatives, such as fly-ash bricks, AAC blocks, and CSEBs. Shifting from high-emission clay bricks to low-carbon alternatives offers environmental benefits but also raises questions about costs, labour, and the equitable distribution of gains.