CII offers help to Pakistan in setting up green business centre

Hyderabad, Oct 7 (IANS) CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre (GBC) has offered to help Pakistan in establishing a similar centre, which can act as a catalyst in green business initiative in the country.

GBC head and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) executive director S. Raghupathy mooted the idea when Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Salman Bashir visited the centre Monday.

Raghupathy said GBC could help Pakistan in energy efficiency as it is doing in Sri Lanka. He offered the cooperation in establishing a green building movement in Pakistan.

Set up in 2001, GBC was India's first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum rated Green Building. 

Raghupathy said from just one green building in 2001, India now has over 2,100 projects registered with a total area of 1.65 billion square feet. It now has the second largest green building footprint in the world after the US.

Studies by CII Green Business Council show that these green-rated buildings save up to 30-40 per cent on energy and 20-30 per cent in water consumption, he said, adding they also use recycled water for plants.

Bashir, who went around the building and planted a tree, thanked GBC for its suggestions and said he would encourage Pakistan Business Council to take a lead.

"This centre has opened for Pakistan new vistas that need to be worked in terms of learning and cooperation," he said.

The high commissioner said the centre was a good example and illustration of what is possible and doable.