The more eco-friendly a structure, the better. Initiatives in building such structures are gaining wider acceptance across the world.
The green building concept, which has appealed to conservationists and modern architects, is now being accepted as a viable model.
The CII Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre, with its headquarters in Hyderabad and representative wings in several places, including Kochi, focuses on an internationally accepted pattern for construction of buildings in the ‘green’ category. Over the years, ‘green’-rated buildings have attracted quite a bit of attention.
The concept has entered a new phase with the launch of ‘green’ rating for companies.
Called the Greenco rating, the system has been introduced on a pilot basis, S. Raghupathy, head of the Green Business Centre, says.
The system aims to provide guidance to businesses on how to implement ‘green’ strategies, based on an interactive and consultative process.
It envisages building partnerships with stakeholders to address issues related to ecological sustainability.
Companies can derive numerous benefits out of restructuring various business processes in compliance with the norms of the ‘green’ initiatives; in respect of energy efficiency, and water and waste reduction, he says.
The proposed rating system will cover manufacturing and service sector units. The industries that can be covered are automobile and engineering, IT hardware and services sector, cement, pharmaceutical and chemicals, fertilizers, power plants, FMCG, pulp and paper, glass, refineries and petrochemicals, hotel, service sector, iron, steel and non-ferrous metals, textile and electronics.
Code for sustainability
A code for ecologically sustainable business growth has been developed as part of the conceptualisation of the rating system.
It aims at involving top managements in making voluntary commitments towards reducing the intensity of consumption of energy, water and other natural resources and to promote ecologically sustainable growth . The initiative, launched three years ago, had evoked response from more than 450 organisations in the country.
Businesses consume energy for various reasons, such as operating machinery, running computers, and office maintenance. The ‘ green’ rating system calls for an energy monitoring and accounting system and technology that is less energy intensive.
The green business rating promotes sustainable use of water through “reduce, recycle, reuse, and reclaim” strategies. It prescribes metering to monitor water consumption, rainwater harvesting, and water-use reduction strategies.
The system encourages businesses to employ clean and renewable energy. The ultimate goal is to offset 100 per cent of the electrical and thermal energy by renewable energy.
Lucrative option
Although the initial investment on installing equipment for generating renewable energy is relatively high, the long-term benefits of reduced maintenance costs, low operating costs, and cost savings on fossil fuels will make it a lucrative proposition.
Waste management is another key area in the rating process. Material conservation and recycling are closely related to waste management. By reusing materials, there are definite savings in costs, in the form of reduced material costs.
The rating system promotes reuse and recycling of raw materials and discourages use of virgin materials. It encourages businesses to make recyclable or biodegradable products.
Carbon neutral
Reduction of greenhouse gases is a prominent part of the rating scheme. The ultimate goal is to make businesses ‘carbon neutral.’
The rating encourages businesses to design and develop a product that has ‘nil or least’ environmental impact during its lifecycle. It also envisages several initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of products at various stages of production, distribution, use, and disposal. The system is an easy way for companies to compare themselves against their peers or competitors. Businesses can use the recommendations of the rating system to develop a long-term plan to improve competitiveness and be ecologically sustainable. “Companies that accept the ‘green’ rating system will have a head start in complying with these requirements and have an advantage over competitors.
With consumer awareness related to the environment growing at a fast pace, green-rated companies will enjoy considerable consumer support and goodwill,” Mr. Raghupathy says.
