NE BUSINESS BUREAU
MUMBAI, JAN 21
Maharashtra and Karnataka retained the top two slots, while Tamil Nadu slipped to 4th slot and Gujarat came poor 8th, in the third edition of the US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) list of India’s top ten states that have maximum number of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified green buildings.
LEED is a widely used green building rating system. It ranked states in terms of cumulative gross square feet (GSF) of certified space as of 31 December 2019. Maharashtra has 373 LEED-certified green buildings, while Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat have 301, 178 and 57 buildings, respectively.
“India continues to be a global leader in green building. By pursuing LEED certification for buildings and spaces, India is not only contributing to economic growth and development but actively raising the living standard for its residents by providing more resilient, healthier and efficient buildings and communities,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of U.S. Green Building Council and GBCI. “Next month at Greenbuild India in Bengaluru, I look forward to convening with green building experts from all over the country as we work to build a more sustainable future for all people.”
Maharashtra tops the list, followed by Karnataka, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh, respectively. In a change from last year, Haryana has moved up in the list, edging out Tamil Nadu for the third spot. The Top 10 states for LEED are home to more than 843 million Indians, and together include more than 48.3 million gross square meters of LEED-certified space. The detailed rankings are included below:
| Rank | State | Number of LEED-certified projects | Certified Gross Square Meters (GSM) |
| 1 | Maharashtra | 373 | 10,258,564 |
| 2 | Karnataka | 301 | 9,691,621 |
| 3 | Haryana | 139 | 5,906,220 |
| 4 | Tamil Nadu | 178 | 5,405,415 |
| 5 | Uttar Pradesh | 95 | 4,756,050 |
| 6 | Telangana | 106 | 4,143,928 |
| 7 | Delhi | 72 | 3,074,542 |
| 8 | Gujarat | 57 | 2,247,419 |
| 9 | West Bengal | 40 | 1,986,383 |
| 10 | Rajasthan | 21 | 901,918 |
*As of December 31, 2019
India boasts more than 1,400 LEED-certified buildings and includes schools, hospitals, offices, residential buildings and more. Buildings that are LEED-certified create healthier spaces for people, as well as use less energy and water, reduce air pollution, provide cleaner air indoors and save money for businesses and families. They also generate fewer emissions compared to traditional buildings — not only during the construction stage but also after they are occupied and throughout the entire lifecycle of a building.
From February 6-7, 2020 at the LEED-certified ITC Gardenia in Bengaluru, the country’s green building leaders will convene for Greenbuild India, the flagship event for sustainability professionals. The conference programming will explore the latest in LEED, as well as sustainable practices and technologies that are enabling the green building to be a critical solution in addressing pressing environmental challenges. Greenbuild India offers in-depth education sessions, powerful Opening and Closing Plenary keynotes and an opportunity to celebrate leadership across the country. Registration is currently open.
