What are Green Buildings?

Forty per cent of the world's annual carbon dioxide emissions come from the built environment. About a quarter (27%) of yearly emissions come from buildings themselves, while another 13% come from the materials and construction of buildings and infrastructure (commonly referred to as embodied carbon)(1). 

Homes, schools, workplaces, hospitals, universities, shopping malls, and even places of worship and recreation all impact people's physical and mental well-being. Because we spend so much time (about 20 hours per day) indoors, the houses and other buildings in our immediate vicinity significantly, yet frequently disregarded, contribute to our health. Inadequate ventilation, poor indoor air quality, chemical contaminants from indoor or outdoor sources, feeling too cold or too hot, traffic noise, and poor lighting are just a few of the ways in which the built environment can negatively affect our health(2,3). 

Thus, improving both existing and new buildings is of vital interest to policy-makers, the industry, and the public health community as it is both a priority in combating climate change and a public health concern that requires respective equity and social priorities.

Green Building refers to increasing the efficiency with which buildings and their sites use energy, water, and materials, as well as reducing the impacts on human health and the environment throughout a building's entire lifecycle.

To achieve a "green" status for a structure, one must give a lot of thought to a variety of factors. A few of these are:

• Selecting the site appropriately

• Using renewable energy to operate

• Designing for maximum daylight utilisation

• Maintaining Indoor Air Quality

• Using high-efficiency water fittings

• Reducing and managing waste

• Using recyclable & local materials for building

Example of a scorecard issued by LEED for Southwest Library

To promote the green building movement, the Central & State Governments of India provide various incentives to IGBC-certified projects. Please visit the official IGBC website to find a detailed list of such incentives