Newsletter | February 2020     Want to live in a 5-star rated home? Here’s how it can be possible   Green buildings are those buildings which are resource efficient both in terms of their design and operation. Green buildings operate on efficiencies which help you to bring down your energy consumption, they use less water, provide a healthier and comfortable environment and they generate less waste. Mr. Sanjay Seth, CEO, GRIHA Council believes that sustainability should be measurable and there should be tools and ways to evaluate the sustainability of a building. He added that GRIHA has certain benchmarks and they evaluate buildings on the basis of those benchmarks and rate them accordingly. Moreover, being an indigenous tool, it has been built according to the climatic conditions of India. Speaking about the challenges that the sustainable development and green building sector is currently tackling, he said: “One of the biggest challenges right now is that we are still trying to bridge the gap between demand and supply. And the other is that green is always associated with an incremental cost. But that is not true. Green buildings do not cost more.”     Paryavaran Rakshak Programme   A talk was delivered to impart knowledge to the residents, children on how each one of us can contribute towards saving our environment. More than 40 residents participated in the programme and learnt about good practices in their daily routine. There were several activities designed in the form of games such as waste segregation, tambola, energy consumption calculation for a house etc. Several awards were presented to the residents such as t-shirts, solar lamps, etc. as a token of appreciation. A certificate was presented to the board members of RWA, Parwana Apartments, Mayur Vihar, Phase 1, Delhi by GRIHA Council. The residents were enthusiastic throughout the environmental training programme and learnt from the activities and games.       Editor's choice   Who turned up the temperature? Climate change, heatwaves and wildfires The cautionary tale of the boiling frog describes how a frog that jumps into boiling water will save itself by jumping straight out, but the frog that sits in the water while it gradually gets hotter and hotter will boil to death. The global warming crisis surrounds us today and we must act now to protect ourselves. On 15 January 2020, the World Meteorological Organization confirmed that 2019 was the second hottest year on record after 2016, according to the organization’s consolidated analysis of leading international datasets. Sustainable Built Environments Roadmaps for the Future Mr Akash Deep, Senior Program Manager, GRIHA Council for Energy Future Magazine, titled "Sustainable built environments: roadmaps for the future". In this article, he elaborates on sustainable development in the building sector. He discusses the need for the management of energy and water through proper planning and use of sustainable sources, such as wind, solar, and biogas, and emphasizes on finding local solutions for sustainable development Why green ratings for buildings matter? Rapid demographic, spatial, and economic growth of the country has expanded the environmental footprints of our cities. India’s rate of increase in urban population from 1995 to 2015 was 2.5%. The level of urbanization in 2015 was 32.7%, and it is estimated to increase to 37% by 2025. Thus, a sharp increase in demand for infrastructure and housing can be foreseen. While addressing this demand is critical to housing our burgeoning population, it is equally prudent to ensure that the new construction activity is sustainable throughout its life cycle   New products have been enlisted in the GRIHA product catalogue   Company name:JANS Bamboo Products Pvt Ltd LTD Product name:Bamboo Furniture, Bamboo Landscaping Elements Product typology:Innovation Company name:TOTO India Industries Private Limited Product name:CW182M, CW272M, CW562M Product typology:Innovation     GRIHA training and awareness program organized   3-Day GRIHA V 2015 Training Programme at New Delhi Date: November 27th - November 29th, 2019 3-Day GRIHA V 2015 Training Programme at Noida Date: January 29th - January 31st, 2020 3-Day GRIHA V 2015 Training Programme at Visakhapatnam Date: January 29th - January 31st, 2020   GRIHA Training Programs in the upcoming quarter   Venue Date Kolkata 26th – 28th February, 2020     GRIHA Certified Professional & Evaluator Exams in the upcoming quarter   Exam Date Certified Professional 14th February, 2020 Evaluator 18th April, 2020     Register your interest for training on GRIHA Register your products Register your projects   Copyright © 2019 GRIHA Council GRIHA Council, 1st Floor, A - 260, Defence colony, New Delhi, 110024 (Ph : 011 4644 4500) If you do not wish to receive this newsletter Click here