U.S. Green Building Council Partners with Tata Housing to bring 20 Million Square Feet of LEED and WELL Certified Green Homes to India
New strategic partnership focuses on jumpstarting the availability of green, healthy homes across the country
MUMBAI, India, June 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and its certification body Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), announced a strategic partnership agreement with Tata Housing, one of India's fastest growing real estate development companies. The partnership is designed to jumpstart the availability of LEED and WELL certified homes throughout the country and commits to certifying 20 million square feet of residential space to the LEED green building program and the WELL building standard.
The concept of housing will be unveiled at Tata Housing's project Serein in Thane, Maharashtra.
LEED is the most widely used green building program in the world. It is a certification program for homes and buildings of all types that focuses on reducing energy, water and resource use. LEED buildings are healthier for occupants, save money through reduced utility bills and reduce CO2 emissions.
The building sector accounts for at least a third of all energy related CO2 emissions worldwide and nearly 60% of the world's electricity is consumed in residential and commercial building. India is the world's largest carbon emitter among nations, after China & the U.S.
"The residential sector in India has a major role to play in enhancing resource efficiency in the coming years," said Mahesh Ramanujam, COO, USGBC and President, GBCI. "The USGBC-GBCI-Tata partnership will directly impact this sector by focusing on implementing LEED in houses slated for construction. Performance management platforms, such as the LEED Dynamic Plaque, are also part of the agreement and will enable USGBC and GBCI to leverage Tata Housing project performance data to inform benchmarks for global green construction best practices."
"Tata Housing is aiming to implement LEED and the WELL Building Standard," added Ramanujam. "WELL builds upon LEED certification and focuses attention on the health and wellness of building occupants."
The WELL Building Standard builds on LEED and allows for a greater focus on occupant health and wellbeing. WELL addresses aspects such as nourishment, fitness, light and air quality.
The agreement was announced at a press event today, which was held at Tata Housing Headquarters in Mumbai. Speaking earlier at the event, Mr. Brotin Banerjee, MD & CEO – Tata Housing Development Company, said, "We are excited to introduce the WELL Building Standard to Indian real estate, a landmark concept and an imperative in the present scenario. We have always kept sustainable practices at the core of all our offerings and have been pioneers in adopting latest eco-friendly technologies in construction and implementing energy efficient amenities at all of its projects."
With the profound changes in the lifestyle and income levels of people, the wellness industry in India has become a sunrise sector, and is set to grow by 20-30 per cent year on year. In a survey conducted by Tata Housing across metros in 2014, the company indicated that consumers, especially millennials, prefer wellness featured homes which assure only the highest standards of quality, pure air & water, and a healthy atmosphere in which they can thrive. In a world where climate change is deteriorating quality of human lifestyle, residential projects with a low carbon footprint and wellness features are attractive to buyers. Features that a globally aware buyer wants, are rarely provided in residential projects, however results from the survey implied a latent demand for these features.
About the U.S. Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building program, robust educational offerings, an international network of local community leaders, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, the Center for Green Schools and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. For more information, visit usgbc.org, explore the Green Building Information Gateway (GBIG) and connect on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
About GBCI
The Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) is the premier organization independently recognizing excellence in green business industry performance and practice globally.
Established in 2008, GBCI exclusively administers project certifications and professional credentials and certificates within the framework of the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating systems as well as the PEER standard for power systems, the WELL building standard, the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES®), Parksmart and the GRESB benchmark, which is used by institutional investors to improve the sustainability performance of the global property sector. Through rigorous certification and credentialing standards, GBCI drives adoption of green business practices, which fosters global competitiveness and enhances environmental performance and human health benefits. GBCI.org.
About LEED
The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction, maintenance and operations of green buildings. Every day, more than 1.85 million square feet (170,000 square meters) of space is certified using LEED. More than 79,100 projects are currently participating in the commercial and institutional LEED rating systems, comprising more than 15 billion square feet (1.4 billion square meters) of construction space in more than 160 countries and territories. In addition, close to 101,000 residential units have been certified under the LEED for Homes rating system, with more than 230,000 more homes registered. Learn more at usgbc.org/leed and review the Foundations of LEED development process.
About Tata Housing Development Company Limited
Established in 1984, Tata Housing is a closely held public limited company and a subsidiary of TATA Sons Limited. TATA Sons Limited holds 99.86% of equity share capital of the company.
Since its revival in 2006, the company has grown exponentially establishing itself as the fastest growing real estate developers in India, with 70 million sq. ft under various stages of planning and execution and an additional 19 million sq. in the pipeline. Tata Housing has stood out in the industry with quality construction, ethical and transparent business practices, rapidly acquiring an image as a Quality Conscious and Reliable Developer.
Today, Tata Housing is developing large townships and differentiated theme based projects in major and mini metros. As a comprehensive real estate developer of choice, Tata Housing straddles across all consumer segments from value to luxury housing, by offering products ranging from Rs. 12 lakhs to Rs. 14 crores. All projects developed by Tata Housing are certified sustainable green developments, designed by top internationally renowned architects. Tata Housing has been receiving various industry recognitions and accolades, both on domestic and international platforms. For additional information, visit: www.tatahousing.in
For further information, please contact:
GBCI
Alok Jhunjhunwala | [email protected] +91-9833063963
Tata Housing
Amit Nanda | [email protected] | +91 9820103119
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