India outperforms US, China in LEED net zero certifications

LEED Zero recognises projects that have reached net zero or net positive status in the categories of carbon, energy, water, or waste.

Mumbai: India has emerged as a top country with LEED Zero green building projects, outperforming the United States of America and China, said the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and Green Business Certification Inc (GBCI).

According to the GBCI’s findings, out of 150 LEED Zero certified projects, India has 45% or 73 such projects, with Haryana and Tamil Nadu leading the race in certifications. (Representational Image) (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The United States and China have the second and third most LEED Zero certifications, with 47 (30%) and 15 (10%) certifications respectively.

LEED Zero recognises projects that have reached net zero or net positive status in the categories of carbon, energy, water, or waste. Net zero refers to a state in which the greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere are balanced by removal from the atmosphere. The term net zero is important because – for CO2 at least – this is the state at which global warming stops.

According to the GBCI’s findings, out of 150 LEED Zero certified projects, India has 45% or 73 such projects, with Haryana and Tamil Nadu leading the race in certifications.

India’s DLF group is the leader globally in total LEED Zero certifications with 45 certifications for its projects, followed by Kolkata-headquartered ITC Group with 15 certifications.

Some Leed zero projects include ITC Grand Central, ITC Maratha, Mumbai, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail’s manufacturing facility in Bengaluru, Tamarai Tech Park in Chennai, Goldman Sachs building in Bengaluru, Danfoss Industries campus in Chennai, ITC Hotels across India and their data centre in Bengaluru, and Nucleus Office Parks’ One Trade Tower in Bengaluru.

The LEED Zero projects include office spaces, hospitality facilities, retail malls, industrial manufacturing projects and data centres.

Nearly one-third of all carbon emissions in India come from the building and construction sector.

Commenting on the findings, Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan, managing director of Southeast Asia and Middle East for GBCI India, says, “As large emitters of carbon emissions, buildings play a significant role in helping us achieve our global climate goals. India’s leadership position in LEED Zero projects reflects its commitment to sustainability and the adoption of innovative green building practices. It is also in line with India’s ambitious target of achieving net zero GHG emissions by 2070. We are proud to partner with companies that are leading in our trajectory to reach net zero and create a greener and more sustainable built environment.”

A complement to LEED certifications like Certified (40-49 points), Silver (50-59 points), Gold (60-79 points) and Platinum (80+ points),

LEED Zero has four categories which recognise net-zero status in carbon, energy, water, and waste over a period of 12 months.