Indian Green Building Council Launches Green Building Week 2024 with Focus on Sustainability

The Confederation of Indian Industry – Indian Green Building Council (CII-IGBC) has launched Green Building Week 2024, running from September 9 to 13. The campaign, themed #BuildingTheTransition, aims to guide the building and construction sector towards a resilient and zero-carbon future. This year’s initiative emphasizes three key actions: Reduce, Electrify, and Adapt.

Supported by over 75 Green Building Councils (GBCs) globally, the campaign features more than 100 events worldwide, showcasing innovative solutions for a decarbonized built environment. The “Reduce” step focuses on improving energy efficiency and minimizing energy consumption. The “Electrify” component advocates for a transition to electric power for essential functions, ensuring that electricity comes from low-carbon sources such as renewables. The “Adapt” phase emphasizes enhancing the built environment’s resilience against climate change impacts.

Mr. B Thiagarajan, National Chairman of CII-IGBC, addressed attendees at the Green Building Week inaugural event. “The Green Building Week is a global initiative by the World Green Building Council. The Indian Green Building Council is recommitting to Building the Transition alongside our stakeholders and partners—developers, builders, architects. Together with the WorldGBC, we are playing a vital role in creating sustainable and climate-resilient built environments,” he stated.

In its 16th year, the World Green Building Week, led by WorldGBC and its global network of over 75 GBCs, aims to build momentum and drive local actions crucial for global sustainability. GBCs, present in over 75 countries, represent 60% of the world’s building stock and 65% of global GDP, addressing 72% of global built environment emissions.

The Indian Green Building Council, a key player in this global movement, is conducting various events throughout the week. Activities include a national webinar series on climate change solutions, waste management sessions in collaboration with Eastern Railways, and the launch of IGBC student chapters in cities such as Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mysuru, and Bengaluru. These efforts aim to educate young minds on integrating traditional and modern architectural designs for a sustainable future.

Mr. C Shekar Reddy, National Vice Chairman of IGBC, emphasized the importance of the Green Building Week. “This global movement promotes sustainable infrastructure and building practices that minimize environmental impact and enhance occupant quality of life. Through our initiatives, IGBC and its partners are committed to advancing responsible development practices that balance human needs with environmental stewardship,” he said.

IGBC is driving innovation in building technologies, materials, and design practices to support net-zero goals. It promotes research in sustainable building solutions and fosters collaboration among industry experts, government bodies, and academic institutions to share knowledge and develop solutions for net-zero buildings.

CII-IGBC’s Net Zero Mission aims to achieve 100% net zero embodied carbon by 2050 for new buildings and infrastructure and to ensure all buildings, including existing ones, are net zero operational carbon. The Net Zero Carbon Rating System encourages the use of low-embodied carbon materials, renewable energy sources, and a Whole Building Life Cycle Analysis. This system addresses both the ‘Design & Construction’ and ‘Operations’ phases, offering tailored strategies for minimizing or eliminating carbon emissions.

The Net Zero Energy, Water, Waste, and Carbon rating systems present a significant opportunity for the Navi Mumbai building sector to lead in adopting Net Zero practices and contribute to India’s goal of becoming a leading country in achieving Net Zero by 2070.