Advance climate-resilient homes to cut emissions

This case study is part of the “Climate Resilience Awards for Business”, an initiative by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) in partnership with the Global Resilience Partnership (GRP), which celebrates businesses driving innovative and scalable solutions to strengthen climate resilience across operations, supply chains, and communities. Learn more here.

Build up Nepal works at the frontlines of climate shocks and stresses, flood-prone plains, landslide-risk hills, and drought-affected regions where climate-impacted families face compounding climate shocks. Extreme rainfall, rising temperatures, and fragile soils pose significant threats to housing, livelihoods, and supply chains. These risks are material not only to operations, but also to entire communities that rely on safe, affordable housing. Traditional fired-brick construction worsens emissions and air pollution, while unsafe housing magnifies disaster losses. The solution turns this challenge into an opportunity: Build up Nepal trains local entrepreneurs to produce low-carbon, interlocking eco-bricks and build homes that withstand floods and earthquakes, reducing CO₂ emissions by 75%, construction costs by 25%, and air pollution by 90%. By localising production, Build up Nepal ensures climate risks neither halt construction nor erode community resilience. Every home built reduces emissions, strengthens safety, and creates green jobs, turning climate vulnerability into a pathway for adaptation and inclusive growth.

Location of the initiative: Nepal, South Asia — Lalitpur