The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) held the third edition of Greenbuild India - a two-day event at the LEED Platinum certified ITC Gardenia in Bengaluru. The flagship event for sustainability professionals was attended by more than 400 sustainability leaders from across India and around the world – people who are committed to creating buildings and communities that improve the quality of life.
During the Opening Plenary, Mahesh Ramanujam, President & CEO, USGBC, Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) and Arc, announced the launch of the Living Standard campaign in India, which will explore a new way of talking about the challenges green buildings address and their ability to improve quality of life. “This year’s conference once again demonstrated the enormous potential for India in creating greener buildings, cities and communities,” he said.
Featuring education sessions and discussions around LEED v4.1, waste reduction, building performance and the connection between buildings and health, Greenbuild explored the latest LEED developments and green building practices. USGBC Senior Vice President Mili Majumdar shared the latest version LEED v4.1, and how it is moving the industry to focus more on performance. LEED v4.1 is available for virtually all building types and includes a simplified path to certification for the residential sector. Education sessions and events explored how the rating system encourages strategies that create better homes for people and the planet. She also outlined a vision called LEED Positive, which will guide USGBC in transitioning from strategies that reduce harm to those that cause no harm and begin the process of healing and repair. A panel discussion featured female leaders from Interface, IKEA, Ela Green Buildings & Infrastructure Consultants and GBCI India.
This year’s Greenbuild Leadership Award recipients included Citi, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, GMR Group, Infosys, Tata Group and Padma Shri Ar C N Raghavendran, a decorated green building professional.
India’s green building activity has been steadily growing and the country has consistently been among the top 10 countries and territories when it comes to LEED-certified buildings. There are currently more than 3,200 buildings in India that are using LEED.
