Abstract
Green-building rating systems (GBRSs) are critical for implementing climate change (CC) mitigation strategies because they can help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the building sector. From the Indian policy perspective, the ClimateSMART Cities Assessment Framework (CSCAF) provides cities a roadmap toward mitigating CC while planning/implementing their actions and facilitates realising energy efficiency and green buildings through GBRS adoption and incentivisation. Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) is a comprehensive GBRS aligned with CSCAF and India’s climate goals, facilitating the implementation of Government of India’s relevant policies and climate-adaptation measures within a building project’s different phases. This paper examines existing institutional mechanisms for incentivising GRIHA-rated projects and provides recommendations for municipal bodies, regional developmental authorities, and state governments for strengthening resource efficiency in the built environment through GRIHA. Residential buildings are considered because their contribution to GHG emissions is the greatest among buildings. Data were collected through literature review, reviewing smart-city proposals and latest state annual action plans, Right to Information queries, and structured interviews of stakeholders. Feedback from green-building certification agencies, project proponents, and government officials revealed a need for local-level information dissemination and guidance on institutional mechanisms for incentivising green-rated projects. Further, to understand the implementation mechanisms for GRIHA-linked incentives, residential projects under some local-government agencies were documented as case studies, providing useful insights into prevalent mechanisms for availing incentives while facilitating GRIHA compliance. The information provided herein can be useful for local governments in other developing countries for guiding the building sector toward mitigating climate change.
Highlights
IntroductionBuildings contribute to 39% of all energy-related CO2 emissions (UN Environment and the International Energy Agency, 2017), of which, operational emissions (emissions from energy used for heating, cooling, and lighting buildings) account for 28% and the remaining 11% is from embodied carbon emissions associated with materials and construction processes throughout the entire building lifecycle (World Green Building Council, 2019)
Buildings contribute to 39% of all energy-related CO2 emissions (UN Environment and the International Energy Agency, 2017), of which, operational emissions account for 28% and the remaining 11% is from embodied carbon emissions associated with materials and construction processes throughout the entire building lifecycle (World Green Building Council, 2019)
According to the World Resources Institute (WRI) (WRI, 2020), the top 10 emitting countries (Figure 1) account for more than two-thirds of annual global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: China leads with 26.1%, followed by the United States (12.67%), the European Union (7.52%), and India (7.08%)
Summary
Buildings contribute to 39% of all energy-related CO2 emissions (UN Environment and the International Energy Agency, 2017), of which, operational emissions (emissions from energy used for heating, cooling, and lighting buildings) account for 28% and the remaining 11% is from embodied carbon emissions associated with materials and construction processes throughout the entire building lifecycle (World Green Building Council, 2019). According to the World Resources Institute (WRI) (WRI, 2020), the top 10 emitting countries (Figure 1) account for more than two-thirds of annual global GHG emissions: China leads with 26.1%, followed by the United States (12.67%), the European Union (7.52%), and India (7.08%). Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) was India’s first indigenous GBRS endorsed by the Government of India (GOI) and showcased at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as part of various initiatives for meeting India’s climate goals (UNFCC, 2015; Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), GOI, 2019). GRIHA is over a decade old, further dissemination of information regarding its ground implementation
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