New Delhi, 20 June 2014 - The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), the exclusive certification body for administering the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) process worldwide, has announced that beginning July 1, 2014, LEED project teams in India can now directly register and certify with GBCI by taking advantage of the state-of-the-art technology platform LEED Online.

"LEED is a global rating system," said Mahesh Ramanujam, president, GBCI, and chief operating officer, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). "Twenty-two thousand projects in 150 countries recognize LEED as the premier green building rating system. GBCI manages LEED certification worldwide to deliver superior technical support and customer experience to ensure maximum quality for project teams. The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) will provide LEED certification in collaboration with GBCI to avoid any inconvenience to LEED projects already registered with IGBC."

Announced earlier this month by USGBC, the news coincides with last week's announcement in India that all state governments must comply with minimum requirements for energy efficient design and construction set by the central government by 2017.

"India is playing a leadership role in the efforts to transform the built environment into one that enhances the quality of life for all its citizens," continued Ramanujam. "High performing buildings should be a mark of pride for India. The new code for minimum energy standards for new commercial buildings is a big step in the right direction. LEED is used by leaders across the globe and features several opportunities to reduce energy consumption through strategies such as natural ventilation, passive cooling, high efficiency systems and smart building controls."

According to a USGBC report, India ranks third globally for countries outside of the U.S. with the most LEED-certified space, with nearly 12 million square meters. There are more than 66 million square meters of building space undergoing the LEED process in India, comprising 1,657 building projects.