CII’s GreenCo forum announces first awards for sustainable building

The GreenCo rating, an initiative by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to promote sustainable buildings today announced its first awards for Indian companies that have made their daily operations sustainable beyond having sustainable buildings.

The awards were announced at the GreenCo Summit 2013 with nine companies getting the GreenCo rating, the first of its kind in the world that recognises sustainable operations, a CII release said.

The 9 companies that received the GreenCo rating include the Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL), ITC Limited PSPD Division - Badrachalam, Vasavadatta Cement - Sedam Unit, ACC Ltd - Thondebhavi Cement Works, Brakes India Ltd - Foundry Division -  Sholinghur, JK Tyres & Industries Ltd, Kankroli, HIL – Golan, Thyssenkrupp Electrical Steel India Pvt Ltd, Nasik and Hindustan Unilever Ltd, Mysore.

Apart from this, special awards in recognition of contribution to the green building mission were also given Godrej Properties, Larsen & Toubro Ltd, Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd, K Raheja Corp, Tata Housing Development Co Ltd, ITC Ltd, Wipro Technologies, Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys Limited, Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and National Buildings Construction Corporation Limited (NBCC).

Jamshyd N Godrej, chairman, CII-Godrej GBC, pointed to the recent Uttarakhand crisis as the devastating effects climate change can cause on mankind. "We are meeting on the backdrop of the crisis that has shown us how important it is to be green. Recent statistics show that the concentration of carbon dioxide has crossed 400 parts per million, which most scientists consider to be a dangerous level. India is extremely vulnerable to climate change given its vast coastline and mountains. Unless we are cognizant to the environment, we will not be able to progress,'' he said. 

This challenge, he said, is also opening up new business opportunities. Promoting ecologically sustainable business growth models have become an imperative and captains of Indian industry are developing growth strategies to promote sustainable economic development of the country, he added.

Prem C Jain, chairman, Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), stated that the efforts towards sustainability have already delivered 1.5 billion square feet of green building footprint in India. ''We want India to be the greenest country on the planet. Green companies see 40-50 per cent reduction in energy bills, 20-30 per cent reduction in water usage, apart from providing healthy working environment and reducing waste.

''India currently has 360 certified green buildings, with 2,100 more waiting to be certified. The green mission has also spread out to residential segment with 4.5 lakh green homes, totalling 680 million square feet already constructed in the country,'' he said, adding, ''This puts India among the top three countries with the largest green building footprint.''

Pradeep Bhargava, immediate past chairman, CII (WR) and Chairman, GreenCo Summit 2013, said CII started the GreenCo mission to ensure that development and environment conservation should go hand in hand. "The industry has started to recognise the effect their operations have on the environment. The industry makes more investment than the government, so we can't leave the responsibility of the environment to the government. We as the industry have to logically own up the responsibility of taking care of the environment."

CII developed the Green Company Rating System (GreenCo) through an extensive stakeholder consultation and interactions with experts to evaluate companies on environmental performance. ''This is the first time in the world that a composite index for a green company has been developed. Of 60 companies that applied for the rating, 30 have been processed and nine companies are being awarded. We are looking for GreenCo to mean green company today, green community tomorrow and eventually to mean a green country,'' Bhargava added.

Former President Abdul Kalam formally launched the GreenCo Forum to further facilitate the sharing and adoption of green practices by industries across the country.

CII's green mission is also receiving government support as green buildings have started to receive faster environmental clearance, while in Noida IGBC certified buildings get an additional 5 per cent FAR.

The Kerala government has mandated that all buildings above 2,500 square metres need to have IGBC certification.

Rajeev Bhide, chairman, CII – Pune Zonal Council, in his address called on the need to work more closely with all the stakeholders in greening India.

The two-day GreenCo Summit 2013, being held at Suzlon Excellence Academy, Pune,  would  focus on sharing of national and international experiences on Green and environmental sustainability initiatives adopted by companies among other things.