A new ecolabel will facilitate the Indian building sector’s ability to source green steel for construction of buildings, according to Parasu Raman R, Chairman, Green Products and Services Council and founding chairman of the Indian Green Building Congress.
So far, he says, 120 companies all over the country have achieved GreenPro ecolabelling for more than 1,700 products from a wide range of segments including construction blocks, cement, glass and insulation, he told the CII Green Building Congress 2020 on a virtual platform. This, he explains, will enable architects, developers and builders to choose green products and materials comprising more than 90 per cent of the cost of construction.
During the congress, eight companies were announced at October end to have achieved this certification for 40 products: Bayer Crop Science, BontonTechnomake, Daiki Axis India, E3 Extrusion Inc, Indowud Polymers, Koshish Sustainable Solutions, Proclean Technologies and Welspun Flooring.
The GreenPro Ecolabel, says Biswajit Ghosh, chief of technology at Tata Steel Ltd, is a step in the right direction to make the Indian steel industry green. Tata Steel will take leadership in incorporating green measures in all its steel products, he adds.Soren Enholm, CEO of the Sweden-based TCO Development which is a global leader in ecolabelling electronic products, points out there are ‘enormous opportunities’ for Indian IT and electronic products to go green and reduce the associated environmental impacts.
The three-day Congress, on the theme of ‘Hygiene, Health and Wellbeing in Green Built Environment’, was inaugurated on 29 October, by vice-president M. Venkaiah Naidu, who stressed that climate change is ‘as real as daylight’ and it is imperative for nations to strike a balance between economic development and environmental protection. “Economy and ecology can coexist if one respects nature and panchabutas or the elements of nature,” he said, adding that green buildings are the need of the hour for this coexistence.
Economy and ecology can coexist if one respects nature and panchabutas or the elements of nature
Jamshyd Godrej, past president of CII, described green buildings as ‘a huge opportunity to slow down a rapidly-warming earth’ and called for action by businesses to promote and use green buildings, to provide a competitive advantage for decades.
CII director general Chandrajit Banerjee opened the event by pointing out that the Indian government has committed to a reduction in the emissions intensity of its GDP by 35 per cent before 2030, from the 2005 level. “CII is fully committed to support the government in achieving this and will continue to facilitate embracing sustainable principles alongside the development agenda,” he vowed.
The Green Building Movement in India is growing from strength to strength, says IGBC chairman V Suresh, adding: “We aim to facilitate 10 billion sq.ft of green footprint in the country by 2022, when India celebrates its 75th year of Independence.” A shining goal for a platinum jubilee!