Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Industries T.R.B. Rajaa said that the State plans to achieve Net Zero [emission] at least a decade ahead of 2070. “As a State that is adding value to the idea of India, we would definitely want to be a [leading] State when it comes to using renewable and sustainable materials in construction,” the Minister said.
“This government will listen and is open to ideas. We request the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) and the stakeholders present here to bring ideas to enable the State to become much more sustainable. We will ensure that all the requests from the industry are heard and rapid action is taken, and see how change can be brought about. We would also ensure that we build greener buildings. At the pace in which Tamil Nadu’s economy is growing, we intend to take the greenest route possible,” the Minister said at the Green Building Congress 2023 event organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) IGBC.
In an effort to achieve the Net-Zero Carbon Emission goal, the IGBC announced India’s first ‘Net Zero Carbon’ rating system during the event.
“The benefits of this rating system are multifaceted. Beyond supporting India’s climate goals through carbon reduction, it encourages resource efficiency, adoption of energy-efficient systems, integration of renewable energy sources, responsible water use, waste minimisation and climate-resilient building designs. The rating system presents an excellent opportunity for the building sector to lead the adoption of Net Zero practices and facilitate India’s transformation into being one of the frontrunners in the Net-Zero target by 2050,” said Gurmit Singh Arora, Chairman, IGBC.
Mr. Arora further said that the Government of India, over the last two decades, has initiated several new missions and policies that support the path towards Net Zero carbon buildings and cities. “The green building movement in India has been spearheaded by CII’s IGBC since 2001 by creating awareness amongst the stakeholders. Till date, the council has been instrumental in enabling 10.42 billion sq.ft. of green building footprint in the country,” he added.
Jamshyd N Godrej, Chairman, CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre, said, “In terms of green buildings, India has been seen as a follower. We stand number two in the world, whereas, in case of net zero buildings, we have a great opportunity to take a leadership role and make India the top country in the world. I am sure that the deliberations in the next three days will help the stakeholders to understand the strategies to be taken to achieve the common goal for Net Zero,” he added.
Ajit Chordia, Chairman, IGBC, Chennai Chapter, said, “Tamil Nadu’s commitment towards the green building movement can be witnessed through many landmark projects such as the IGBC certified buildings - Anna Centenary Library, Chennai Metro Rail Limited, Smart Governance Centre, among others.”
The launch of the IGBC Net-Zero Carbon rating system is in alignment with ‘IGBC’s Mission on Net Zero’, which was launched on Earth Day in 2021, and India’s commitment at COP26, which is to achieve the long-term goal of reaching Net Zero carbon emissions by 2070. The rating system operates on a voluntary and consensus-based approach, promoting the use of low-embodied carbon materials and technologies, and on-site or off-site renewable energy sources, and adherence to a whole building life cycle analysis as per ISO Standard 14040. The rating system addresses projects in both ‘Design & Construction’ and ‘Operations’ phases. This approach allows tailored strategies for minimising or eliminating carbon emissions at different project stages.
