Excelling the uptake of LEED India - Integrating lessons learnt from the development of green star

A number of environmental rating tools exist globally which aim to push market transformation towards a sustainable future. In 1998, the World Green Building Council was formed with the mission to create a sustainable built environment through market transformation. Tools such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) in the United States and BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) in the UK, are seen as leaders in the development of sustainability rating tool. The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) launched the Green Star suite of tools in 2003. Green Star has been based, in parts, upon combining the best from both the LEED and BREEAM tools and adapting them to the Australian context. Of the new 'tiger economies' in the Asian region, India in particular is turning her attention to lowering overall environmental impact. As a new member country to the World Green Building Council, the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) is developing its own built environment sustainability rating tools based on LEED. The IGBC's auspicing body is the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). This paper investigates the development and implementation of Green Star and outlines the issues and barriers which occurred during the process. Lessons learned from the development of Green Star suite of tools in Australia are expected to help create a set of the best rating tools for India and excel the uptake of the tools in that market. The study found numerous lessons of use to CII, and indeed any other country setting up their own sustainability rating tools