Introduction
The shift towards constructing ‘Green’ buildings is driven by the need to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprint for environmental protection. Buildings not only affect the environment but also have a profound impact on Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ). Research suggests that globally people spend roughly 90 percent of their overall time indoors (Mannan and Al-Ghamdi, 2021). Hence, IEQ factors such as thermal comfort, lighting quality etc, affect well-being and overall quality of life. Moreover, since the developing world alone is expected to nearly double current global built floor space by 2050, green buildings are crucial as urbanisation continues to surge.
Definition
There are several definitions of green building across countries as each definition represents the requirements of national and regional building industry development. The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) defines green building as
‘aiming to reduce or eliminate negative impacts on the environment during the whole building life cycle, creating positive impacts on the climate and environment’
However, the common denominator amongst all the definitions includes a life cycle view, environmental sustainability, health concerns, and community implications. The concept that claims of sustainability should be backed by evidence forms the basis for the creation of green ratings. These ratings assess a building’s sustainability by evaluating its expected performance throughout its entire life cycle, from design to operation.
Green ratings
Green ratings are an effective tool for evaluating building sustainability claims by requiring regulatory compliance and setting performance targets to enhance construction and operational resource efficiency.
Green ratings in India
The Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) Council is an independent, non-profit society established by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India, to promote and manage green buildings in India. The principle of ‘what gets measured gets managed’ underscores the GRIHA rating system. It is a point-based scoring system with 34 criteria divided into sections such as site selection and planning, resource conservation, building operation and maintenance, and innovation. It helps improve the environment by lowering greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, natural resource stress, pollution, and waste generation.
The Indian Green Business Council (IGBC), partnering with the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) administers the internationally recognised LEED programme—‘Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)’—in India, which provides a framework for healthy, efficient, carbon and cost-saving green buildings. LEED certification is a globally recognised symbol of sustainability achievement, and it is backed by an entire industry of committed organisations and individuals paving the way for market transformation. LEED-certified buildings produce 34 per cent less CO2 and utilise 25 per cent less energy. Water-efficiency efforts in green buildings may reduce water usage by 15 per cent and save over 10 per cent on operational expenses. It facilitates registration of Indian projects under the LEED programme. The building rating system of IGBC is similar to USGBC but tailored for Indian circumstances.
Implications for Public Transit
The integration of green building principles into public transport infrastructure, such as airports, metro stations, and railway stations illustrates the expanding scope and impact of sustainable construction practices on both urban development and environmental conservation.
Indian Railways is on a mission to become the world’s largest green railway, and to be a ’net zero carbon emitter’ by 2030. As of 2021, 19 Railway Stations have achieved Green Certification including 3 Platinum, 6 Gold and 6 Silver ratings. To achieve this goal the IGBC has developed the Green Railway Stations rating system which is a voluntary and consensus-based programme designed to address environmental sustainability in Indian railway stations.
India’s position globally in green building construction
In recent years, several public and private infrastructure projects in India have received a green rating. For instance, the Delhi Metro has been certified by the United Nations (UN) as the first Metro Rail and Rail based system in the world to get carbon Credits for reducing greenhouse gas emissions as it has helped to reduce pollution levels in the city by 6.3 lakh tons every year. According to data from the US Green Building Council (USGBC), India ranks third outside the United States in an annual ranking of the top 10 countries for LEED. Although green construction is a relatively new concept in India, it has already demonstrated its potential and is making a significant impact.
Nidhi Dingrani is an intern at Artha Global.
Banner image source: DALL – E.
