Green buildings and infra will ensure environmental sustainability
Author: Akshat Jain
In today's heavily carbonised world, most buildings contribute to harmful emissions instead of environmental sustainability. While environmental sustainability is most commonly expected to come into practice from sustainable business practices, the building sector and infrastructure development also play a significant role in ensuring environmental sustainability. Akin to sustainable business practices, the concept of green building introduces the reduction in carbon emissions from buildings, either from their infrastructural designs or activities happening in the building. Here, the term' green building' refers not only to plantation mechanisms in new buildings but also to energy-efficient practices while constructing a building. Nonetheless, the US Environmental Protection Agency or EPA defines green building as: "the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and deconstruction." On the other hand, The World Green Building Council introduces green building as one that "reduces negative impacts and produces positive impacts on the environment and climate by preserving natural resources and improving the quality of life." Therefore, buildings that are environmentally friendly will significantly contribute to a reduction in carbon and global house gas emissions. According to Coalition for Urban Transitions' 2019 report, buildings produce 30-40 per cent of city emissions. And to cut 90 per cent of emissions from cities, emissions from buildings need to be reduced by 80 per cent. Moreover, the WEF report also highlights that construction operations and materials contribute to three-quars of building emissions.