Good news for Maharashtra as state beats Tamil Nadu in LEED ratings list

Maharashtra has topped the list of the 10 states for 'leadership in energy and environmental design' (LEED) ratings that was released by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) Monday. Notably, what gave Maharashtra the lead were the nearly 334 projects that it has going. This is the second year that the list has been released in India and it ranks the states in terms of cumulative gross sqft of LEED-certified space as of December, 2018.

Maharashtra emerged at the top with 334 LEED certified projects. The other states that it beat included Karnataka with 232 projects, Tamil Nadu (157)- TN was ranked number one last year-and Haryana (125). 

The top 10 states are home to over 840 million Indians, and together include over 475 million gross sqft of LEED-certified space, the survey said.

What is LEED
This is an international symbol of sustainability excellence which signifies a building is lowering carbon emissions, conserving resources and cutting down cost, while prioritising sustainable practices and creating a healthier environment.

USGBC and GBCI managing director for Southeast Asia and Middle East Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan said, "India is a leader in green buildings, and continues to demonstrate year-on-year growth".

He added that many Central government agencies and states have started offering incentives for LEED, and businesses, educational institutions and nonprofits across every sector are adopting it.

Other states in list and ranking
* With 82 projects, UP ranks fifth
* Telangana follows with 91 projects.
* Delhi ranks seventh with 57 projects
* Gujarat ranks eighth with 53 projects 
* Bengal ranks ninth with 35
* Rajasthan ranks tenth with 19.