Maharashtra has more green buildings than any other State

Maharashtra has been ranked first in the list of India's top 10 States for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), a global green building rating system. The list was released by Green Business Certification Inc.

The rating signifies a building is lowering carbon emissions, conserving resources and cutting costs, while prioritising sustainable practices and creating a healthier environment.

Maharashtra tops the list, followed by Karnataka, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, respectively. In a change from last year, Haryana has moved up in the list, edging out Tamil Nadu for the third spot. The Top 10 states for LEED are home to more than 843 million Indians, and together include more than 48.3 million gross square meters of LEED-certified space.

This is the third year that the top 10 has been released in India, ranking Indian states in terms of cumulative gross square meters (GSM) of LEED-certified space.

“India continues to be a global leader in green building. By pursing LEED certification for buildings and spaces, India is not only contributing to economic growth and development, but actively raising the living standard for its residents by providing more resilient, healthier and efficient buildings and communities,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, President and CEO of US Green Building Council and GBCI.

India boasts of more than 1,400 LEED-certified buildings, which include schools, hospitals, offices, residential buildings and more. Buildings that are LEED-certified create healthier spaces for people, as well as use less energy and water, reduce air pollution, provide cleaner air indoors and save money for businesses and families. They also generate fewer emissions compared to traditional buildings — not only during the construction stage but also after they are occupied and throughout the entire lifecycle of a building.

The detailed rankings are below:

*As of December 31, 2019