TERI, USGBC join hands for green buildings

New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) Monday inked an agreement with the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to design and construct green buildings in India.

"Several studies have estimated that most of the buildings projected to be standing in 2030 in India are yet to be built. The demand for energy, water and other inputs for these buildings and those that already exist will be staggering," said R.K. Pachauri, director general of TERI.

Pachauri and Rick Fedrizzi, the CEO of USGBC, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.

TERI's GRIHA (Green rating for integrated habitat assessment) project along with USGBC's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) share common goals in promoting green buildings, the eminent environmentalist said.

Pachauri said designing and constructing buildings, as envisaged in the GRIHA project, would ensure that India and the world do not get locked into a pattern of resource intensity that would be unsustainable in the long run.

Fedrizzi said: "This partnership between USGBC and TERI promises to take green buildings to the next level in India. India is already the third largest market for LEED outside the US."

"USGBC is committed to bringing our resources to advance more rapid adoption of green building practices," he added.