HYDERABAD: Vice President Venkaiah Naidu has appealed to the Finance Commissions and local bodies to encourage green buildings through various measures including tax incentives. He also wanted all states to create online portals to provide single window clearance to green buildings.
Observing that the implementation of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency’s Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) has not been uniform across the nation, Naidu appreciated Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for taking a lead in this regard.
During the virtual inauguration of the 12th GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) Summit, organised by the GRIHA Council from Hyderabad on Tuesay, the Vice President said that India has the potential to lead the Global Green Building Movement and emphasised the need to promote green building concept by both the private sector and the government.
On this occasion, the Vice President also launched three e-publications of GRIHA Council namely - 30 Stories Beyond Buildings, Shashwat Magazine, and Version 2019 Manual of the Council.
“Green buildings movement should become people’s movement”, VP 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.
He further said, "Our ancient civilisational values teach us to live in harmony with nature. We need to revisit our traditional and nature-friendly house designs refined over thousands of years. Unfortunately, our modern structures are such that no sparrow can come and make a nest in our house. This is not our culture” he said.
Opining that the roof cooling should be an area of priority for all, the VP noted, "In India, over 60% of roofs are made from metal, asbestos, and concrete - thus trapping heat inside buildings and contributing to heat island effect in urban areas. 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, especially in low-income households and slums in urban areas."