Hyderabad: Make green building a people's movement says Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu

Hyderabad: As buildings are one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, there is a need to promote green building concept by both the private sector and the government, said Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday, adding that India has the potential to lead the Global Green Building Movement.

Naidu said this while virtually inaugurating the 12th GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) Summit, organised by the GRIHA Council from Hyderabad. Recognising that there is a lack of awareness among people about green building concept, the Vice-President also called for the launch of a mass media campaign on the advantages of building green homes. "Green buildings movement should become people's movement," Vice President said.

Quoting the World Green Building Council data, the Vice President said that buildings and construction account for 39% of energy-related CO2 emissions in the world and called for accelerating the process of total de-carbonization of the built environment.

Noting that "Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan" envisions making India self-reliant in all spheres, the Vice President re-emphasised the need for sustainable development and wanted awareness to be increased among the people in this regard. Naidu said that there is a need for concerted and coordinated efforts from all stakeholders to ensure that the buildings are environment-friendly and energy & resource-efficient.

"The construction material we use today should be sustainable and it should not in any way jeopardize the ability of future generations to meet their needs," he added.

"The current year has been a tumultuous one due to Covid-19 pandemic and a number of natural calamities in the form of floods, droughts and other extreme weather events. Thus, there is an absolute need to reorient our approach to development as the decisions we make today will have repercussions far beyond our own lifetimes," he said.

Observing that the implementation of Bureau of Energy Efficiency's Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) has not been uniform across the nation, Naidu appreciated the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for taking a lead in this regard.

Noting that least half of the country's population will live in towns and cities by 2050, the vice president said that this will create a lot of pressure on housing sector and green solutions will have to be developed to meet the emerging needs. Noting that roof cooling should be an area of priority for all, Naidu said in India, over 60 per cent of roofs are made from metal, asbestos, and concrete -- thus trapping heat inside buildings and contributing to heat island effect in urban areas.

Observing that cool roofs offer a simple and cost-effective solution that can lower indoor temperatures by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius as compared to traditional roofs, the vice president said that these can be very effective for low-income households and slums in urban areas.

On the occasion, the Vice-President praised the efforts of GRIHA and launched three e-publications of GRIHA Council namely - 30 Stories Beyond Buildings, Shashwat Magazine and Version 2019 Manual of the Council.