The US Green Building Council (USGBC) released the 9th annual ranking of top 10 countries outside of the United States (US) for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in 2021 in which India ranked 3rd with 146 projects.Â
- It has been topped by China with 1,077 LEED projects certified in 2021, followed by Canada at 2nd position with 205 projects.
- The ranking highlights countries and regions outside the US that are doing good in healthy, sustainable, and resilient building design, construction, and operations.
About India’s ranking:
As India becomes home to 146 more LEED licensed buildings and spaces in 2021, it represents 2,818,436.08 Gross Square Meters (GSM) of area. This marks an almost 10% enhance in LEED licensed area in India from 2020 despite the ongoing pandemic
- India’s total tasks underneath LEED stand at 1,649 buildings with total of 46.2 million gross sq. meters.
Top 5 Rankings:
| Rank | Country | Project count | Square Meters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | India | 146 | 2,818,436.08 |
| 1 | China | 1,077 | Â 14,151,480.95 |
| 2 | Canada | 205 | 3,208,030.63 |
| 4 | Republic of Korea | 42 | Â 1,557,824.68 |
| 5 | Spain | 100 | Â 1,496,400.05 |
- The above top 5 countries represent 1570 projects that were certified in 2021 and represent 310 million square feet of LEED space.
- The analysis used to develop the list ranks countries in terms of total number of LEED projects between January 1 and December 31, 2021.Â
Key Points:
i.It should be noted that the US is not included in the ranking, but remains the world’s largest market for LEED with 53,908 projects, with more than 280 million square feet certified to LEED in 2021.
ii.LEED is a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings. It is the world’s most widely used and recognized green building rating system.
iii.LEED-certified spaces use less energy and water resources, reduce carbon emissions and create a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.
iv.In India, LEED is administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI).
Some Projects in India that adopted LEED in 2021:
i.CESC House in Kolkata, the First Heritage Building in India received a LEED Gold rating, was recertified to LEED Platinum in 2021.
ii.Ankit Gems Diamond Factory was awarded with a LEED Platinum certification for its diamond manufacturing facility in Surat.
iii.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.
iv.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.
v.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.
vi.Ela Green School in Tamil Nadu is the first school in the world to achieve Platinum certification under LEED v4.1 Operations and Maintenance Interiors.
Recent Related News:
India has retained its spot in the top 10 best-performing countries (for the third year after 2020, 2021) and ranked 10th in the global Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2022, which was released by Germanwatch on the sidelines of the COP26 (26th Conference of Parties).
About US Green Building Council (USGBC):
President and CEO– Peter Templeton
Headquarter– Washington, D.C., US
