India Ranked Among Top 3 Countries for Green Building Certification in 2024

India remained at third place on the annual list by the US Green Building Council of the top 10 countries and regions for LEED certification in 2024. The country reported 370 LEED-certified projects of different types across buildings, spanning 8.50 million GSM.

India has ranked among the top three countries consistently in terms of LEED certifications, and the country continues to emphasize its sustainable development commitment, in addition to the United Nations' SDGs for 2030. This ranking has portrayed India's attempts to reduce global warming and provide a healthy construction environment by taking green development measures.

LEED certifications in India are administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), which is a key driver of the acceleration of green building practices across the country. China topped the list with more than 25 million GSM of certified space, followed by Canada, which ranked second with 10 million GSM.

The USGBC publishes an annual ranking that tracks the progress of countries and regions outside the United States in adopting sustainable, healthy, and resilient building designs. The ranking is a benchmark for global sustainability efforts and encourages other parts of the world to adopt green building practices.

Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan, Managing Director of GBCI for Southeast Asia & the Middle East, praised India’s achievement, stating: “India’s remarkable accomplishment of 370 LEED-certified projects in 2024 highlights the nation’s commitment to sustainable development and climate action. With 8.50 million GSM of certified green spaces, India is addressing the need for sustainable urban infrastructure while making significant strides toward the United Nations' SDGs for 2030. As urbanization continues, adopting green building practices will be critical for improving community well-being and mitigating climate change. India's push for net-zero emissions by 2070 further strengthens its leadership in the global sustainability movement.

The real estate sectors of India increasingly embrace sustainable practice. LEED certifications have advanced beyond commercial space and now move to industrial and residential and education projects. Therefore, this happens in accordance with the broader commitments for sustainability from the country's side, not to mention it as a hub of net zero in green buildings.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the LEED rating system, launched by the USGBC in 2000. Over the past two and a half decades, LEED has set the global standard for rating sustainable, efficient, and resilient buildings, becoming the world's most widely used green building certification program.

USGBC will be releasing the next edition of the rating system later this year, that is LEED v5. It has called for consumer feedback to further enhance and refine the sustainability benchmark within the built environment.