Internationally acclaimed environmentalist R.K. Pachauri says India urgently needs ‘green buildings’ to ensure sustainable use of energy and water. Pachauri said it is estimated that most of the buildings projected to be standing in 2030 are yet to be built and that government should ensure these structures abide by the suggested guidelines that address the environmental impact of India’s construction sector.
“There has to be a radical departure in the construction of new buildings. There is a change in culture which has impacted the consumption of energy, water and other resources. Our rating system has taken stock of buildings and we have prepared a knowhow to get truly green buildings,” Pachauri said in an interview.
Pachauri was the chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.
He said that the Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) has taken into account India’s climatic and other geographical conditions.
He warned that a mere aping of Western buildings and infrastructure will not be practical in India, where the situation was very different. “Our climatic conditions should be kept in mind, and that should determine the kind of insulation you have in the buildings. Also, for example, in the hills solar energy will be a very good resource; windows must be solar. GRIHA prescribes just that,” he said.
GRIHA is a green building design evaluation system that is suitable for all kinds of buildings in India’s different climatic zones.
Asked why GRIHA should interest private commercial developers, Pachauri claimed that the guidelines would actually help them save money. “The government has already mandated that government buildings above a certain size have to be GRIHA rated,” said Pachauri.
Asked how energy usage could be minimised in existing buildings, Pachauri said there was only “limited opportunity” for implementing the green building initiative in existing buildings but “better insulation, better windows and use of solar energy” could help.
“We have regular training programmes, and I would imagine education doesn’t stop at school or college. It is a lifelong process.”
