Comparision of green building rating schemes used in North America, Europe and Asia

Green building rating schemes are used in industry practice as a practical tool for sustainable development. Green building ratings facilitate conservation of natural resources and reduction in environmental impacts while satisfying the user requirements. The credit structure, indicators, level of certification, priorities allocated to environmental, economic and social aspects of sustainable development vary widely among the green building schemes used in different countries. This study presents a comprehensive comparison of credit structure and indicators of ten green building rating schemes that are widely used in North America, Europe and Asia. Green building schemes namely Green Globes, LEED USA, BREEAM, DGNB system, GRIHA, IGBC system, BEAM Plus, Green Mark, CASBEE and Green Star are considered. The comparison is performed at six different levels. The extent to which the sustainable development objectives are met in these schemes is evaluated. Further, this study examines the credit structuring of the two Indian green building schemes - GRIHA and the IGBC system, identifies the areas of improvement and proposes a framework for the next-generation green building scheme that could be adopted in India. The findings of this study are beneficial to improve the effectiveness of green building rating schemes in India.