Commercial property in Noida and upcoming residential projects in Noida are actively integrating sustainable practices to meet green certification stan
From Concrete To Conscious: Evolution of Green Certifications in Indian Real Estate
The real estate industry is one of the biggest contributors to embodied carbon emissions. In order to tackle this problem and to keep a check on the industry’s environmental impact, government and non-profit organizations jointly came up with specific industry standards covering the entire life cycle of a development.
Green building certification and rating systems have continued to introduce new and relevant metrics over the years to evaluate developments. With such systems in place, the industry has come a long way. However, there is still much work to be done. With the rising global awareness about sustainability and eco-friendly practices, homebuyers are actively searching for properties that prioritize green building.
The Indian market is also witnessing this trend and, thus, real estate developers are adapting their offerings to meet the demand. As a result, several upcoming residential projects in Noida and other Indian cities are green developments meeting high standards of sustainability.
Green certifications have played a crucial role in the transformation of the real estate industry. Let’s take a look at the Indian green certifications landscape and how it has evolved over the years.
IGBC
The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) was formed in the year 2001 with the vision, "To enable a sustainable built environment for all and facilitate India to be one of the global leaders in the sustainable built environment by 2025". The council is dedicated to developing new green building rating programmes, certification services and green building training programmes. Additionally, they work with several governments and private non-profit organizations to promote green building awareness within the country. Having launched more than 20 rating systems to address the various building typologies, including energy efficiency, water conservation, waste management, material selection, and more, IGBC is currently working on promoting the agenda of net zero buildings in both commercial and residential segments.
Several upcoming residential projects in Noida, like Max Estates’ Estate 128, are IGBC Platinum pre-certified for green measures underscoring the paradigm shift towards green buildings in the country.
BEE
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency or BEE was established by the Government of India in March 2002 under the provision of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. The BEE star rating program particularly rates commercial buildings based on their energy performance, using a 1-to-5 star scale, with 5 stars indicating the most energy-efficient buildings. Taking into account the current eco-conscious generation, real estate developers are offering commercial property in Noida and other parts of the country with the highest energy efficiency rating.
LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used across the world. The certification system was developed by the non-profit organization U.S. Green Building Council and includes a holistic approach to green building rating encompassing metrics such as design, construction, operation, and maintenance.
The first LEED rating program for Indian buildings, referred to as LEED India Version 1.0, was launched during the Green Building Congress Conference in October 2006 with the mission to help building developers and users be environmentally conscious and responsible. The rating system has done a remarkable job of inculcating eco-friendly and sustainable practices within the real estate industry.
As of 2024, there were over 195,000 LEED-certified buildings in 186 countries worldwide. In India, there has been a steady growth in the number of green buildings, particularly in the last decade with major real estate developers increasingly adding green buildings to their portfolio. Max Estates’s recent commercial property in Noida is LEED Platinum certified along with their two other commercial properties Max Towers and Max House which are LEED Platinum and LEED Gold certified respectively.
GRIHA
Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment or GRIHA, developed by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), was adopted as the national rating system for green buildings in India by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) in 2007. GRIHA is a Sanskrit word meaning “abode” which is rightfully apt for the rating system.
GRIHA evaluates and certifies the performance of buildings against nationally accepted standards throughout their entire life cycle—from planning and construction to operation and maintenance. With an aim to minimize the overall ecological impact of real estate, the institution provides a holistic framework to assess and manage factors like sustainability, conservation, and more. With a five star rating system GRIHA evaluates the entirety of Indian real estate including commercial development and upcoming residential projects in Noida and other cities.
With the growing eco-conscious population, what once used to be a luxury amenity in a high-end offering is gradually becoming the standard, and thus, more affordable and accessible. However, according to a study by UNEP FI in 2022, the real estate sector accounts for around 40% of global carbon dioxide emissions. A research by JLL claims that the most prevalent green building certifications across most markets are generally more focused on design and construction as opposed to energy use and emissions performance. The certification and ratings system needs to come up with stricter standards with a holistic approach to assessment. With the end-user becoming increasingly eco-conscious, these changes are likely to follow soon which will transform the real estate industry for the better.
Comments