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Co-Founder Sustainability Architect/Eco-System Builder/ESG & LCA Lead, EcoCollab: The SustainabilityX® Magazine's Global 50 Women In Sustainability Awards™ 2024 Awardee
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"The most sustainable thing to do in the construction industry is not to build at all, but that is not going to support our nation's growing population. We have rolled out a sustainable buildings platform where building and plot owners can embark on their sustainable project journey where they can choose from green retrofits to new net zero buildings". - Arundhati Sett, Co-Founder Sustainability Architect/Eco-System Builder/ESG & LCA Lead, EcoCollab, India & The SustainabilityX® Magazine Global 50 Women In Sustainability Awards™ 2024 (#SustXGlobal50) Awardee
Arundhati Sett is redefining sustainable architecture through her work as the Co-Founder of EcoCollab, a platform devoted to pioneering low-carbon, climate-responsive building solutions. With over 20 years of expertise in architectural design, master planning, and project management, she has led transformative projects that embrace eco-friendly materials, prioritize passive design strategies, and reduce environmental footprints. Her philosophy goes beyond simply incorporating sustainable elements; she aims to create structures that are in harmony with nature, often eliminating the need for air conditioning by designing thermally comfortable spaces.
Previously, Arundhati spearheaded the “Housing for All” initiative at Ashoka Innovators for Public, where she developed affordable and sustainable housing policies with a focus on accessibility and resilience. Her career spans both India and the United States, where she worked with renowned architectural firms in California on high-budget projects ranging from $30K to $50 million USD. Her dedication to sustainability was evident early on, as she implemented frameworks like LEED and the Collaborative for High Performance Schools to enhance environmental standards in institutional buildings.
At EcoCollab, Arundhati has fostered a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach, building teams that share her vision of a regenerative, climate-resilient future. Her projects are a testament to sustainable design principles, with buildings across Bangalore showcasing innovative solutions, including circular water management systems, energy-efficient strategies, and eco-conscious material selections. She strongly believes that architects must prioritize a sustainability-focused ethos from the outset, integrating these principles as core project tenets rather than optional add-ons.
In her own words, Arundhati follows the wisdom of architect B.V. Doshi: “True sustainability is about moving towards an integral way of life and thinking.” This belief drives her to challenge conventional architectural practices, advocating for buildings that respect local climates and culture rather than generic solutions. Arundhati has also eliminated carbon-intensive wall plaster from several projects, opting instead for alternative materials that support long-term resilience.
Arundhati’s boldness is rooted in her commitment to “design by example,” where every project she leads at EcoCollab not only meets but exceeds sustainable standards. She sees the award as a validation of her journey and hopes it inspires more women in architecture and sustainability to step up and lead. Her message to other women in the field is direct: “If you don’t have a seat at the table, bring your own chair. Stand up, speak, and make your voice heard.” For Arundhati, sustainability is both a professional mission and a personal calling to leave a lasting impact on her community, her industry, and the planet.
The SustainabilityX® Magazine Global 50 Women In Sustainability Awards™ 2024
The SustainabilityX® Magazine proudly presents its third edition of the Global 50 Women In Sustainability Awards™ for 2024. This annual recognition celebrates extraordinary female leaders who embrace boldness in their pursuit of groundbreaking sustainability initiatives, reshaping industries, and driving transformative change towards a more just, inclusive, and sustainable future.
This year also marks a broader strategic mission expansion for The SustainabilityX® Magazine, with a stronger focus on aligning with the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) in addition to the original foundation of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This evolutionary expansion reflects the magazine’s ongoing commitment to advancing women's leadership in sustainability while championing social equity, environmental stewardship, and inclusive growth.
“Empowering women to lead in sustainability is at the heart of our mission,” says Supriya Verma, founder of The SustainabilityX® Magazine and one of Corporate Knights' Canada’s Top 30 Under 30 in Sustainability Leadership and one of The Peak's Emerging Leaders. “These trailblazers are breaking barriers and redefining what sustainable leadership looks like—showing that it’s about more than policies and practices, but also about social justice, economic resilience, and a regenerative future.”
Rooted in the magazine's guiding pillars of environmental protection, economic prosperity, social inclusion, and ethical governance, The SustainabilityX® Magazine's Global 50 Women In Sustainability Awards™ showcases women from all sectors, industries, and regions, igniting crucial conversations on the intersection of gender equality and sustainable development.
Amidst global challenges and uncertainties, this year’s awards highlight the critical role of women in steering the world towards a more resilient, equitable future. With a continued digital format, the awards amplify voices across borders, bridging the gap between global sustainability efforts and local impact.
As Verma states, “The future of sustainability hinges on bold, inclusive leadership, and these women exemplify the courage and vision needed to transform our world. The SustainabilityX® Magazine remains steadfast in our mission to celebrate and elevate those who are shaping a future where every voice counts and every effort contributes to a thriving, sustainable world.”
View the full list: The SustainabilityX® Magazine Global 50 Women In Sustainability Awards 2024
Read the full press release: The SustainabilityX® Magazine Announces 3rd Annual Global 50 Women In Sustainability Awards™ Under the Theme "Embrace Boldness"
About The SustainabilityX® Magazine
The SustainabilityX® Magazine is an award-winning, digital, female-founded, and female-led non-profit initiative bringing the environment and economy together for a sustainable future through dialogue, and now transforming the environment and economy for a sustainable future through the power of women's leadership. Founded on May 8, 2016, and inspired by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals by Canada's Top 30 Under 30 in Sustainability Leadership awardee, Supriya Verma, the digital media initiative focuses on approaching the world's most pressing challenges with a holistic, integrated, systems-based perspective as opposed to the traditional and ineffective siloed approach with a single lens on interdisciplinary topics like climate and energy. This initiative ultimately seeks to explore how to effectively bring the environment and economy together through intellectual, insightful dialogue and thought-provoking discussion amongst individuals across sectors taking an interdisciplinary and integrated approach to untangling the intricate web of sustainability while championing women's leadership in sustainability.
The SustainabilityX® Magazine is built upon the four foundational pillars of sustainability: Environmental Stewardship, which emphasizes the importance of improving environmental health; Economic Prosperity, which promotes sustainable economic growth that transcends traditional capitalist models; Social Inclusion, which focuses on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) for BIPOC, LGBTQ, and other marginalized or vulnerable communities; and Just Governance, which highlights responsible leadership, the equal application of the rule of law, and the creation of fair systems for all.
As we expand our mission to align with the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs), we continue to explore the diverse and interconnected factors that influence sustainability. By recognizing how these elements interact across local, national, and international levels, we aim to accelerate progress toward sustainability goals. In essence, this aligns with The SustainabilityX® Magazine's vision of integrating environmental and economic progress for a more just, inclusive, and sustainable future through thoughtful dialogue.
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The SustainabilityX® Magazine is a proud member of the Sustainable Journalism Partnership, serves as a cause-based media partner for various events such as WIRED Impact, and officially delivers remarks at international conferences such as UNESCO's annual World Press Freedom Day Conference.
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