Green buildings support the growth of healthy and resilient communities

India – February 12, 2022 (GPN)– Today, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), announced India has ranked third in the world on its annual list of the Top 10 Countries and Regions for LEED in 2021. The ranking highlights countries and regions outside the United States that are making significant strides in healthy, sustainable, and resilient building design, construction, and operations. India certified a total of 146 buildings and spaces to LEED, representing nearly 2.8 million gross area square meters (GSM) of space. This marks a nearly 10% increase in LEED certified space in India from 2020.

India ranks third on the list behind China, which topped the list with more than 14 million GSM, and Canada which certified more than 3.2 million GSM. India has consistently placed within the top three countries, representing the ever-growing domestic demand for LEED certification in the country as a means to reduce emissions, decrease environmental impact, and support health and well-being. In India, LEED is administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), which has been working relentlessly towards accelerating the adoption of green buildings across the country.

Among the many projects in India that adopted LEED in 2021:

• CESC House in Kolkata, the First Heritage Building in India received a LEED Gold rating, was recertified to LEED Platinum in 2021.
• Ankit Gems Diamond Factory was awarded with a LEED Platinum certification for its diamond manufacturing facility in Surat.
• DLF achieved LEED Platinum for both its Cyber City project as well as for their Retail projects Avenue Mall and The Chanakya under the LEED O+M rating system.
• ITC Hotels was the first hotel in the world to achieve LEED Zero Carbon Certifications for their two properties in South – ITC Windsor at Bangalore and ITC Grand Chola, Chennai.
• The Connaught by IHCL SeleQtions in Delhi earned Gold certification under LEED v4.1 for Building Design and Construction with a total of 67 points.
• Ela Green School in Tamil Nadu is the first school in the world to achieve Platinum certification under LEED v4.1 O&M Interiors

“For nearly three decades, LEED has played a key role in sustainability efforts around the world,” said Peter Templeton, President and CEO, USGBC and Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI). “India’s continued presence among the top three countries for LEED outside of the U.S. in 2021 is a testament to its focus on sustainable development and achieving its Paris agreement targets. India’s continued momentum in adopting LEED across sectors will play a large role in ensuring the overall wellbeing of its citizens and communities in the coming years. The pandemic has highlighted the fact that green buildings are not the solution of tomorrow, they are a solution for now. In line with this, we are confident that India will continue to make great strides in its commitment towards securing the overall wellbeing of its citizens as it seeks to achieve a greener and net zero future for its citizens.”

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. Available for virtually all building types, LEED provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings. LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership.

The analysis used to develop the list ranks countries in terms of LEED-certified GSM space as of December 31, 2021. The United States is not included in the list but remains the world’s largest market for LEED with more than 26 million GSM certified during the year. The full ranking is as follows:

Top 10 Countries & Regions for LEED in 2021
Rank	Country/Region	Project count	Square Feet	Square meters
1	Mainland China	1,077	152,325,125.75	14,151,480.95
2	Canada	205	34,530,920.95	3,208,030.63
3	India	146	30,337,364.12	2,818,436.08
4	Republic of Korea	42	16,768,269.12	1,557,824.68
5	Spain	100	16,107,100.54	1,496,400.05
6	United Arab Emirates	73	13,733,832.33	1,275,916.01
7	Brazil	89	13,366,776.03	1,241,815.33
8	Italy	106	12,543,738.44	1,165,352.56
9	Mexico	47	10,285,729.57	955,576.47
10	Taiwan, China	31	9,619,570.52	893,688.21

Mr. Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan, Managing Director – Southeast Asia & Middle East, GBCI, said, “India is one of the leading nations when it has come to adopting green buildings. Despite the ongoing pandemic, India has witnessed a nearly 10% increase in its LEED GSM when compared to 2020, thereby highlighting its focus on pursuing sustainable growth and development. The Government of India has been proactive in prioritizing the health of its citizens by urging organizations to open with necessary safety protocols in place. LEED can serve as a great tool for companies looking to re-open in a safe and scientific manner. Our solutions like the LEED Safety First Pilot Credits can be leveraged easily to make workplaces safer and healthier for employees. We will continue to work with both, private and civic authorities to advance LEED in India. We are committed to realizing India’s and our vision of a healthy and sustainable future for all.”

On a cumulative basis, India’s overall projects under LEED stand at 1,649 buildings with a total of 46.2 million gross square meters. LEED is a recognized symbol of excellence around the world and continues to raise the bar in terms of sustainability for buildings, cities, and communities. LEED provides a pathway to certification for green buildings at the beginning of their sustainability journey, as well as those that are more advanced and looking to verify net zero performance. Through LEED, USGBC pushes the market toward higher performing buildings that improve quality of life. The impact of buildings, cities and communities on people continues to be a priority for USGBC and GBCI.