833 Million Square Feet of Building Space in India using LEED According to New Report from USGBC
-- Report - LEED in Motion: India, emphasizes the rapid expansion of green building
NEW DELHI, Dec. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced today that 833 million square feet of building space in India is using LEED. The new study, LEED in Motion: India, was released today and details the impact LEED and green building have had on the Indian economy and its buildings, homes and communities. The LEED in Motion: India report provides a far-reaching account of the factors that have led to nearly 2,000 buildings participating in LEED across the Indian subcontinent.
"LEED's success in India can be attributed to a number of factors, especially the widespread recognition by Indian business leaders and government officials that India's rapid economic growth must be accompanied by a substantial investment in sustainable infrastructure," said Mahesh Ramanujam, Chief Operating Officer, USGBC. "LEED buildings are cost effective and save money, and they appeal to a culture that has historically prided itself on high levels of social equity and environmental responsibility."
LEED is used in corporate offices, retail locations, software technology parks, hospitals, government buildings, factories, airports, hotels, homes and financial institutions across India to manage the performance of their buildings. And the rating system has been readily adopted by major Indian companies such as Infosys and ITC Limited.
According to ITC Limited's Executive Director Nakul Anand, "We selected LEED because of its globally recognized, highly rigorous and comprehensive standards. It also helped that LEED had built a uniquely strong and dedicated following throughout India."
"LEED buildings are very complex systems," added Ramanujam. "LEED buildings are intrinsically designed and constructed as better buildings. It is proven through tens of thousands of buildings around the world, that LEED-certified green buildings cost less to operate and reduce energy and water bills by as much as 40 percent."
Also according to the USGBC report, 87 percent of green building professionals across the country believe the number of LEED projects will expand rapidly in the immediate future. To meet this growing demand, there are more than 550 LEED credentialed professionals in India. LEED professionals are building practitioners who are trained specifically in LEED project administration.
Additionally, nine out of 10 senior industry executives in India anticipate that their LEED-related work will increase over the next five years.
"Current forecasts predicting a rapid acceleration in the number of LEED projects in India make sense based on the broader plans of India's new government," added Ramanujam. "Prime Minister Modi has consistently demonstrated that he is dedicated to smart growth and building a sustainable economy and this is why the conversation surrounding sustainable habitat frameworks in India is so interconnected with the Smart Cities initiative and the new government's emphasis on investing in more renewable energy."
Also according to Shri Narendra Modi, "Fighting climate change calls for innovation, cooperation and will power to make the changes that the world needs."
LEED's presence in India has been advanced in coordination with several important strategic partnerships. USGBC's partnership with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has been especially beneficial, as the two organizations have worked together to advance the spread of high performance green buildings across the subcontinent and Southeast Asia. USGBC and TERI are also working together to create a comprehensive, regionally optimized green rating system that combines both LEED and TERI's Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA).
"The LEED in Motion: India report provides succinct feedback from green building consultants, building occupants and building owners that experience a distinct business advantage in complying with green building rating frameworks including LEED and GRIHA," said Mili Majumdar, director of sustainable habitat, TERI. "The GRIHA Summit in March 2015 will provide a platform to further share perspective and equip individuals and organisations to take lead on sustainability."
Additionally, the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) has been instrumental in mobilising the green building movement in India and helping establish LEED as a key driver for market transformation. USGBC and IGBC continue their collaboration in advancing the uptake of green buildings in India.
Print copies of the LEED in Motion: India report will be available at the 12-14 March. 2015 GRIHA Summit in New Delhi, India. It can be downloaded here.
CONTACT: Marisa Long, 1-202-552-1500, [email protected]
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