IFC, GBCI Launch EDGE Green Building Certification in India

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and GBCI, a third-party agency recognizing excellence in the green building industry, launched the EDGE green building certification system in India to boost eco-friendly construction and make buildings more resource-efficient.

EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) is free, easy-to-use software that suggests practical solutions for energy and water savings, improving operational performance at little or no extra cost. To qualify for certification, a building must achieve a 20 percent reduction in energy, water, and construction resources compared to a standard building. IFC's green buildings program in India is supported by the European Union. "EDGE will help push the eco-friendly construction market in India," said Mahesh Ramanujam, president of Green Business Certification Inc. "Resource-efficient designs will help to prove the business case for developers to differentiate their projects by building green."

Johann Hesse, Head of Cooperation of the European Union, said, "More than half of all resources consumed globally are used inconstruction. Almost half of all energy generated across the world is used to cool, light, andventilate our buildings.Improving the efficiency of buildings in Indiawill significantly lower energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. This will help fight climate change considerably."

Green buildings are a compelling need in rapidly urbanizing India that has the world's third-largest carbon footprint. An estimated 600 million people will live in Indian cities by 2031 that will likely lead to crippling infrastructure, energy and water, therefore buildings that are less resource-intensive will be the need of the hour.

"Given that two-thirds of India's building infrastructure is still to come up we have a window of opportunity to shape resilient cities through smart design and growth," said Prashant Kapoor, IFC's Principal Green Buildings Specialist and the founder of EDGE. "The certification program aims to democratizethe green ratings market through easy-to-enforce design solutionsbuild by consensusamong home-owners, developers, designers, and architects that green buildings."

Through the EDGE program, IFC collaborates with premier partners to scale up green building growth inemerging economies such as Costa Rica, Indonesia, and Vietnam. In India, the program is being launched in Bengaluru and Delhi, in addition to Mumbai.