CII’s IGBC Accelerates Green Adoption with the Launch of Nest Framework & Certification for Self-Developed Individual Housing Sector

Chennai, November 2023: In a move to fast-track India’s journey towards its 2070 net zero goal, CII’s Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) today unveiled and introduced in Tamil Nadu its pioneering initiative – IGBC Nest – for the individual housing sector ahead of its flagship conference IGBC Green Building Congress 2023. After having transformed the commercial and industrial real estate sector with several green initiatives and certifications, IGBC has brought to foray a framework specifically developed for individual homeowners to build futuristic, green homes that help control and limit carbon emissions. The initiative was unveiled and introduced in a press conference today in the presence of Mr Ajit Kumar Chordia, Chairman, IGBC Chennai Chapter, Co Chair – Green Building Congress 2023, Mr Mahesh Anand, Co- Chairman, IGBC Chennai Chapter and Mr M Anand, Deputy Executive Director, CII -IGBC.

IGBC Nest is a first-of-its-kind, Eco-friendly Self-developed Tenements framework and certification that aims to bring awareness and drive the individual owners to build a sustainable home with no or meager additional cost. The initiative encourages the owners to adopt green measures that are simple and have profound impacts in addressing resource efficiency and occupant’s health and wellbeing. The framework throws light on building envelopes, water & energy efficiency and harnessing solar energy. Since 2001, IGBC has garnered significant support from stakeholders in the Indian construction industry, leading to a noteworthy positive impact on government, corporate, commercial, residential, industrial buildings, and the broader built environment.

The press conference also witnessed the kick-start of IGBC’s Green Building Congress 2023, the only event in India that is supported by The World Green Building Council (World GBC), and 20 different countries’ Green Building Councils across the world. The flagship event is set to take place in the city after ten years from 23rd November 2023 to 25th November 2023 with the theme Advancing Net Zero Through Decarbonization. Through this, IGBC will provide a platform that brings together eminent industry leaders, policy makers and technology providers to exchange insights and vision on sustainable building practices. The conclave will also showcase 500+ innovative green products, materials, and technologies as part of a dedicated expo space over the course of the three days.

Supported by the Government of Tamil Nadu, India Green Building Congress 2023 for the first time, will provide a platform for home-owners and residents to attend, network, learn and get inspired to foster green building practices in all facets of life. In addition to this, IGBC will also showcase some of the leading concepts and initiatives at the conference to secure a healthy lifestyle along with better savings.

Sharing his insights on the initiative and conference, Mr. Ajit Kumar Chordia, Chairman, IGBC Chennai Chapter, Co Chair – Green Building Congress 2023, said “Our mission is to ensure every building in India is a green building that will not only uplift the economic status of every homeowner but also increase life expectancy with better health benefits. IGBC’s Nest Framework and Certification has been developed specifically for the individual homeowners to help them reduce energy cost by 20-30% and reduce water requirements by 30-50%. We foresee this initiative playing a significant role in building a green India not for this generation but for future generations as well. The IGBC Green Building Congress will lay a foundation for more such meaningful innovations to be launched for greening India’s building sector.”

Adding to this, Mr Mahesh Anand, Co- Chairman, IGBC Chennai Chapter, said “The Green Building Congress acts as a pivotal platform, uniting government officials, real estate developers, architects, and construction industry players with the shared objective of fostering a green future for India. After nearly a decade, we are happy to be bringing back our flagship Green Building Congress to Chennai once again. In the last ten years, Tamil Nadu as a state has become a role model for most of the other states due to a significant green building adoption not just in the capital city, Chennai, but also in major urban centres like Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy, Kanchipuram, Tirupur, and Tuticorin, among many others; with every typology of buildings going green with IGBC, across the state. We express our gratitude to the state government for proactively supporting green building initiatives through incentives and subsidies.”

The upcoming Green Building Congress 2023 is poised to feature a distinguished roster of 150+ national and international speakers, offering in-depth sessions on a range of topics, including Green Homes, Green and Low Carbon Materials, Decarbonizing Technologies, RE Electrification, Carbon-Neutral Cities, and Soft Tools and Services. Following these enlightening discussions, the event will conclude with the prestigious IGBC awards ceremony, recognizing industry leaders who have directed their efforts towards net zero and sustainability, making this event even more valuable to look forward to.

About the Indian Green Building Council: IGBC was established by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in 2001 to actively promote the Green Building concept in India. The council is represented by all stakeholders of the construction industry comprising corporate, government, and nodal agencies, architects, product manufacturers, institutions, and more. The council also closely works with governments, the World Green Building Council, and bilateral and multilateral agencies in promoting green building concepts in India. With a Green Building footprint of 10.42 billion sq ft, and with over 11,586+ projects adopting IGBC’s 34 rating systems, the Green Building movement in India has been advancing at a rapid pace and transforming India, into one of the global leaders in green built environment. IGBC’s current stakeholder ecosystem consists of 29 Local Chapters across the nation, 6880+ Accredited Professionals (IGBC APs), and 360+ student chapters. Tamil Nadu Green building statistics: 742 registered green building projects, equivalent to 465 million Sq ft of green building footprint.