Sustainability is regarded as a key goal for policy makers across all sectors and at all levels, be it with regard to local, regional and global scale. Sustainability as a criteria attribute in real estate sector, which was ignored over a period of years has gained enhanced level of importance in recent years amongst varied stakeholders including developers, investors, owners, tenants, private entities, government bodies and the communities. Policies regarding sustainability have been demonstrated in the Kyoto Protocol, United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI) and the European Union Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings. Similarly regulation at the city level have council enforcing environmental building codes and have varied rebate options, incentives such as tax breaks, flexible and cost effective financing mechanisms, for green buildings. The real estate sector has both set of risks and benefits associated and most often the risks are associated with future uncertainties in terms of policies, regulation and enforcement. Urban housing and the burgeoning infrastructure requirement have triggered local and regional issues such as energy policies, deforestation, water scarcity, air pollution and over exploitation of resources.

1. Date: 16/06/2019
Volume 1 Issue 2
Sustainability Assessment Rating
Tools in Real Estate Sector –
An Applicative Resource Primer
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2. Sustainability is regarded as a key goal for policy makers across all sectors and at all levels, be it
with regard to local, regional and global scale. Sustainability as a criteria attribute in real estate
sector, which was ignored over a period of years has gained enhanced level of importance in recent
years amongst varied stakeholders including developers, investors, owners, tenants, private
entities, government bodies and the communities. Policies regarding sustainability have been
demonstrated in the Kyoto Protocol, United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI)
and the European Union Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings. Similarly regulation at the
city level have council enforcing environmental building codes and have varied rebate options,
incentives such as tax breaks, flexible and cost effective financing mechanisms, for green buildings.
The real estate sector has both set of risks and benefits associated and most often the risks are
associated with future uncertainties in terms of policies, regulation and enforcement. Urban
housing and the burgeoning infrastructure requirement have triggered local and regional issues
such as energy policies, deforestation, water scarcity, air pollution and over exploitation of
resources. According to World Economic Forum, building sector accounts for 40 % world’s energy
use, 40 % of carbon output and consumes 20% of available water. This has put forth an onus on the
construction practitioners to think and move beyond cost and time and also foresee climate risks
and other associated energy, land use and materials used issues also as utmost priority attribute in
urban planning and development. A wide range of rating tools has emerged in the real estate
market to track and benchmark sustainable design and development. However, what’s lacking is
the locale / regional specific assessment tools, every country differs in the environment
setup/climate and other relevant parameters. This makes it further more important to have rating
assessment tools as per the requirement and not just an obligatory or mandatory common tool for
all for application. The rating tools are used as de-facto standard to benchmark sustainability
portfolio of the real estate sector.
Figure: 1. Basis for integrating sustainability in real estate /property valuation
and rating assessment – Resource Use
Attitude of people – impact on buy, sell and rental decisions and the awareness of sustainable
design benefits is likely to change the nature of housing demands.
Energy Use
Water Use
Landuse
Raw material
Use

3. Figure: 2. Scenario narrative for the attitude and perception from the residents,
constructors, developers and investors viewpoint
Sustainable Design Types Benefits Impacts
Flexibility
Reduction of risks ; longer useful
economic life and more stable cash
flow
Discount rate /
Capitalization/rent
forecast analysis
Energy efficiency and water
savings in terms of usage
Reduction in risks due to changes in
energy and water prices; improved
marketability, increased energy
efficiency features
Capitalization
/operation costs ,
discount rates, rent
forecast analysis
Use of Eco-friendly raw
materials
Improved marketability, lower
maintenance costs, reduction of risks
Discount rate /
capitalization
Recycling activities ,
construction quality , Ease of
recycling and maintenance
Lower maintenance costs ; improved
marketability
Operation costs,
market rent
forecast analysis
Compliance Reduction in risks Capitalization /
Discount rate
Reduced impact on
Environment
Image branding , improved
marketability
Discount rate /
Capitalization
According to Construction Industry Development Council, India report: the gross built-up area
added to commercial and residential spaces was about 40.8 million square metres in 2004–05,
which is about 1% of annual average constructed floor area around the world. With a near
consistent 8% rise in annual energy consumption in the residential and commercial sectors,
building energy consumption has seen an increased. Buildings are major consumers of water
during construction and operation (for occupants, cooling, and landscaping). Per capita water
•Interested in having sustainable buildings, but
there is lack of availability of it.Owners/tenants/residents
• Constructors do have appropriate skill
base to build sustainable buildings but
developers do not request for tb
Constructors
•Developers are willing to opt for sustainable
buildings, but the investors are not willing to
invest in it
Developers
Investors
Investors are willing to invest in sustainable
buildings but there is not demand for it in the
market; also another scenario - investor would
not like to invest in projects which do not cover
environmental risks

4. consumption in 1990 was 2464 m3 per capita per annum, but by 2025 with an expected
population of 1.4 billion, it will almost certainly be in the stress category with less than 1700 m3
per capita per annum.
Successful Rating Programmes:
GRIHA was developed in 2007 by TERI and endorsed by MNRE as an indigenous building rating
system, particularly to address and assess non-air conditioned or partially air conditioned
buildings. GRIHA has been developed to rate commercial, institutional and residential buildings
in India emphasizing national environmental concerns, regional climatic conditions, and
indigenous solutions. To know more read the GRIHA manual on how buildings can be brought
under purview of GRIHA at: http://www.grihaindia.org/ GRIHA volume 1 covers all the criteria
rating for assessment
BREEAM
Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) was developed
in the United Kingdom in 1990 and is one of the earliest building environmental assessment
methods. BREEAM covers a range of building types including—offices, homes, industrial units,
retail units, and schools.
CASBEE
Comprehensive Assessment System for Building Environmental Efficiency (CASBEE) was
developed in Japan, in 2001. The family of assessment tools is based on the building’s life cycle:
pre-design, new construction, existing buildings, and renovation. CASBEE presents a new concept
for assessment that distinguishes environmental load from environmental quality and building
performance.
GB Tool
GB Tool was developed by the International Framework Committee for the Green Building
Challenge, an international project that has involved more than 25 countries since 1998. GBTool
is designed to be adapted to reflect regional conditions and context. It includes criteria in
categories such as Site Selection, Project Planning and Development; Environmental Loadings;
Energy and Resource Consumption; Indoor Environmental Quality; Functionality; Long-Term
Performance; and Social and Economic Aspects.
Sustainability for real estate assets:
With rating assessment taking centre stage in real estate sector, multitude of tools with different
parameters has emerged, designed to measure and assess the sustainability of real estate assets
and their owners and managers. According to TERI, there are some 375 registered green building
projects in India with LEED amounting to 260 million sq. ft. and 28 registered green building
projects for GRIHA amounting to 1.3 million sq. ft. The demand side of the industry – the owners,
investors and occupiers - has been less successful at developing a coherent package of measures
for benchmarking real estate assets. Also real estate companies and investors also measure

5. sustainability within their real estate portfolios for their own purposes ie; for internal reporting,
annual report and accounts, marketing and investor relations.
With the concept of zero net emissions in existing and new buildings gaining prominence,
establishing a common approach, compatible with existing practices and also ensuring
construction excellence is a bigger opportunity for this sector. Zero energy buildings are defined
as buildings that produce energy to the amount they consume it. These buildings are attributed to
have options available to produce energy via wind and solar. So it equals the amount used of
energy used when annual accounting is done.
Example case:
(Electricity consumption per year – electricity generated from renewable sources)* Emission
factor = Annual carbon emissions per building – Potential for reduction to reach zero emissions.
National Association of Realtors partnerships and affiliates in sustainability area:
1. CCIM institute is an NAR affiliate and commercial real estate most influential and powerful
organization.
2. CMLS (Council of Multiple Listing Services): They serve to advance through unified
leadership, cooperation and education across the real estate industry.
3. IREM (Institute of Real Estate Management):IREM is a NAR affiliate with the goal to
advance real estate management, it confers to CPM®, ARM®, ACoM and AMO® credentials;
also Certified Sustainable Property (CSP) certification, which is a recognition program for
existing office properties, multifamily communities and shopping centre
4. The Green ReSource Council: It confers NAR’s green designation and involves educating
energy efficiency in existing homes and new construction and help design market segments
portfolios for real estate sector.
5. National Association of Home Builders (NAHB): It provides tools, resources, research, and
education to home builders.
6. Urban Land Institute (ULI): It covers a variety of sustainability initiatives around
sustainable building performance, smart growth, resilience, healthy places and land use
7. U.S Green Building Council (USGBC): Organization dedicated to sustainable design,
construction and operation in a variety of building types. USGBC develops and confers the
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building rating system.
8. CRT Labs is a research group operated by the National Association of REALTORS’® Center
for REALTOR® Technology (CRT). The primary goal for CRT is to track emerging
technologies that will affect real estate, educate members, advocate for the proper use of
technology, and innovate when there is a gap between what is needed and what is available.

6. 9. CRT Labs Smart Home Simplified
Suggestive:
Parameters How it is measured Metric unit Indicator
Electricity Energy for landlord
services ; tenants
kWh kWh/M2 or
occupancy/year
Fuels Energy for landlord
services ; tenants
kWh kWh/M2 or
occupancy/year
Water
Total water used By reference to bills Cubic meters (m3) m3/m2 or
occupancy/year
Water recycled /
harvested
By reference to bills Cubic meters (m3) m3/m2 or
occupancy/year as the
ratio of total
consumption
Waste
Total waste
produced
Direct measurement
or survey
questionnaire
Tonnes Tonnes/reference to
occupancy or m2
NLA/year
Waste disposed to
landfill
Direct measurement
or survey
questionnaire
Tonnes As a ratio of total
waste
Carbon
GHG emissions Reference to DEFRA
reporting
Metric tonnes/CO2e KG/CO2e/M2 NLA or
per occupant/year
Emissions saved Reference to DEFRA
reporting
Metric tonnes/CO2e KG/CO2e/M2 NLA or
per occupant/year
Source: defra standards: while measuring factors such as grid average, renewables etc.. needs to be
considered
Developers, investors, property companies and fund /asset managers are developing strategies
within their portfolio and data is gathered at the asset or portfolio level to support it; however a
common format for objective analysis is still lacking. Property industry alliance IPF, BCO, RICS,
BCSC and BPF including UKGBC has detailing on standard set of sustainability metrics that allows
comparison, benchmarking and reporting. However the detailing is specific and limited to UK. Also
a common framework still is narrow on range. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is having to
an extent Real Estate Sector Supplement that provides standard reporting guidance at the
corporate level. However it does have the issue of variation at property and portfolio level. In
most cases the key sustainability criteria include: energy, water, waste and carbon. However
additional factors like transport, community engagement, biodiversity have gained entry in real
estate sustainability assessment. Among these criteria attribute, reduction of carbon emissions is a
key regulator policy objective.

7. As per the Global Real Estate Sustainability Board a developer assessment is done for:
 Organizations that develop projects or acquire development projects – aim to sell those
after completion
 Projects can also be developed to the tenants specification (built to suit) ; commissioned by
an investment manager, or can be developed at risk
 Organization that acquire properties exclusively for redevelopment and resale.
 Organizations that manage standing investments as a by-product of their development
activities, and for whom the development activities are considered to be the core business.
Another benchmark rating assessment is GRESB’s resilience module; it is an optional supplement
to GRESB real estate and infrastructure assessment. It assesses how real estate and infrastructure
companies and funds are preparing for changing conditions and also keeping an eye on long term
trends and becoming more resilient over time. Increased access to information about resilience
promoting actions among companies and funds
The developers interested in the rating assessment developed by GRESB can login at their
assessment portal which has already began in April 2019. The submission deadline is 1st July,
2019 providing participants with a three month window to complete the assessment
questionnaire.
The participants at the GRESB receive:
 Scorecard for all of their Assessment submissions.
Fund Manager and Company Members:
 Receive a scorecard and benchmark report for all of their Assessment submissions,
discounts on products and services, additional functionality in the Member Portal and
preferential marketing, industry recognition, and networking opportunities.
Investor Members:
 Receive benchmark reports for all of their investments and have access to GRESB‘s
member portal, which contains additional analysis tools to create reports based on a
selection of their investments.
Indicator level rating assessment questionnaire as per GRESB:
1. Vacant land is omitted from the reporting scope
Reasoning: vacant land does not share the same ESG issues as standing investments or
development projects.
2. New options added : Employee health and well-being ; occupants, customers and community
health and well-being”
Reasoning: Indicator of services rating beyond environmental attributes and adding social
element in the assessment; as a part of stakeholder engagement

8. Sustainability Rating Assessment - Attribute criteria scoring:
S.No. Attribute Criteria Scoring Points Total
Energy Efficiency
29
1. Minimum energy efficiency performance 5
2 Renewable Energy – Low Rise 5
3. Renewable Energy – High Rise 5
4 Advanced energy efficiency performance based on OTTV & RTTV 10
5 Home to office connectivity 2
6 Sustainable Maintenance 2
Environmental Quality
Air quality, visual and noise quality
1 Minimum Air Quality Performance 10
11
2 Day lighting 9
3 Sound Insulation 7
4 Quality construction 10
5 Volatile organic compounds 8
6 Formaldehyde plumes control 5
7 Post - Occupancy evaluation verification 8
Sustainable Site Planning and Management
Planning and Transport
1 Site Selection 5
5
2 Public Transportation access 5
3 Community services and connectivity 5
4 Open spaces, landscaping and climate change mitigation 5
Construction and management
5 Construction and site management 5
5
6 Storm water management 5
7 Redevelopment 5
8 Ecological sensitive areas – protection (Avoid construction at
these sites
5
9 Building user application guide and manual 5
Materials and Resources
Reuse and Recycled Materials
1 Raw material type used 5
5
2 Storage and collection of recyclables 5
3 Materials reuse 5
4 Construction waste management 5
Sustainable Resources
5 Recycled material composition 5 5
6 Sustainable timber 5
Water Efficiency
Water harvesting and Recycling

9. Rainwater harvesting 5
Water recycling 5 5
Water conserving and efficient landscaping 5
Water efficient fittings and retrofits 5
Innovation
Innovation in design and Environmental design initiatives 5
5Green building index calculation and application 5
Energy Efficiency
S.No. Area of Assessment – Attribute Criteria Aspect
Points
Maximum
Points
Total
Minimum Energy Efficiency Performance
1
Establish Energy Efficiency (EE) performance to reduce
energy consumption in buildings, thus reducing CO2
emission to the atmosphere.
Apply OTTV and RTTV formulas for residential buildings.
OTTV ≤ 50 W/m2, RTTV ≤ 25 W/m2 Roof U ≤ 0.4 W/m2K
(Lightweight)
Roof U ≤ 0.6 W/m2K (Heavyweight)
4 5
Renewable Energy
Low Rise
Where 1 kWp is generated by renewable energy 1
5
Where 40% of building energy consumption is generated
by renewable energy
2
Where 60% of building energy consumption is generated
by renewable energy
2
Where 80% of building energy consumption is generated
by renewable energy
3
100 % of building energy consumption is generated by
renewable energy
5
High Rise
Where 0.5% of building energy consumption 1
5
Where 1.0% of building energy consumption 2
Where 1.5% of building energy consumption 2
Where 2.0% of building energy consumption 3
Where 2.5% of building energy consumption 5
Advanced EE performance based on OTTV & RTTV
Establish EE Performance to reduce dependence on Energy
to keep indoor environment at satisfactory comfort level.
3
10
OTTV ≤ 46 W/m² Lightweight Roof U-value ≤ 0.35 W/m²K
Heavyweight Roof U-value ≤ 0.5 W/m²K
4
OTTV ≤ 44 W/m² Lightweight Roof U-value ≤ 0.30 W/m²K
Heavyweight Roof U-value ≤ 0.4 W/m²K
6
OTTV ≤ 42 W/m² Lightweight Roof U-value ≤ 0.25 W/m²K 8

10. Heavyweight Roof U-value ≤ 0.3 W/m²K
OTTV ≤ 40 W/m² Lightweight Roof U-value ≤ 0.2 W/m²K
Heavyweight Roof U-value ≤ 0.2 W/m²K
10
OTTV ≤ 38 W/m² Lightweight Roof U-value ≤ 0.15 W/m²K
Heavyweight Roof U-value ≤ 0.15 W/m²K
Home to office and back – Connectivity
Encourage dual use spaces 2
2Multiple-use type developments, OR High speed internet
access available at homes
2
Sustainable Maintenance
Building energy related system perform beyond the liability
and defect period via proper use. Green building design
features and strategies with user information and guide to
sustain performance and increased comfort level during
occupancy
2
2
Common management for buildings via – designated
maintenance, equipped with facilities which includes tools
and instrumentation ; inventory storage and preventive
maintenance budget
2
Environmental Quality
S.No. Area of Assessment – Attribute Criteria Aspect
Points
Maximum
Points
Score
Air Quality, lighting, visual and noise quality and aesthetic comfort
Indoor Air quality performance
1 Establish minimum indoor air quality (IAQ)
performance to enhance indoor air quality in
building, thus contributing to the comfort and
well-being of the occupants.
5
10 1- 10
2 Meet the minimum requirements of ventilation
rate in the local building code
8
3 Provide cross ventilation for all public and
circulation spaces
8
Day lighting
1 Encouraging and recognizing designs that
provide enough of sunlight /good level of day
lighting for building occupants
7
9 1 -92 The habitat daylight factor in the range of 1.0 –
3.5 % as measured at floor level
8
if > 50% of Habitat spaces, or 5
if > 75% of Habitat spaces 8
Sound insulation
1 Encourage and recognize building that is
designed with adequate insulation between
5 7
1 - 7

11. dwelling units.
2 Inter dwelling sound penetration between
dwelling units < 45 dBAeq.
5 7
3 Intra dwelling sound penetration between
walls in the same dwelling unit should not
exceed the following values: Bedroom < 40
dBAeq ; Other areas < 30 dBAeq
6 7 1 -7
Good Quality Construction
1 Encourage and recognize good quality
construction with right mix or blend of
materials with minimum of waste and labour
friendly
2
10 1 -10
2 Quality Assessment System for Building
Construction Work with a minimum score
criteria of 70 % so as to be labeled as “Good
and Green Building”
3
Volatile Organic Compounds
1 Encourage and recognize projects that reduce
impact on health from harmful indoor air
pollutants. These volatile organic compounds
are odourous, irritating and harmful to the
occupants as well as installers, create
discomfort and effect overall well-being.
Volatile organic compound (VOC) content
should comply with requirements specified in
international labeling schemes. The following
are the pre-requisite requirements :
 Low VOC paint and coating
 Low VOC carpet or flooring
 Low VOC adhesive and sealant or no
adhesive and sealant
2 8 1- 8
Formaldehyde Minimization
1 Reduce the exposure of occupants to
formaldehyde and promoting good indoor air
quality in the living space.
3 5 1 - 5
Post Occupancy Evaluation Verification
Provide assessment of comfort of the building
occupants over time.
1 Commitment to implement post-occupancy
comfort survey of building occupants within a
period of 12 months after occupancy. The
survey should collect responses such as
thermal comfort, visual comfort, acoustic
comfort, water faucets and fittings, energy
efficient devices and other aesthetic comforts.
5 8
1 - 8
2 Develop a management and corrective action 6 8

12. plan with the survey results show
dissatisfaction. This plan should include
relevant environmental variables that should
be worked out pertaining to problem areas.
Sustainable Site Planning and Management
S.No. Area of Assessment – Attribute Criteria Aspect
Points
Maximum
Points
Score
Site planning and transport
1 Site selection and planning 1
5 1 – 5
Development is appropriate for the site and complies with
the local plan or structure plan for the area
2
2 Available infrastructure near to the planned development 3
Public Transportation Access
1 Encourage selection of sites close to ease of transport hubs
and planning of new housing areas to comply with mass
transit. These negate the future trajectories of GHG
emissions arising due to working in far flung areas /
distant from home.
1 5 1-5
2 Distance from mass Transport /Hub to apartment within 1km (50% of points if from
Shuttle Bus Stop)
0-250 m 1
5 1 - 5
251 – 500 m 2
501 – 750 m 3
751 – 1 km 4
3 Walkway from building to mass Transport Station if less than 750m from mass Transport
Dedicated footpath 1
5 1- 5
Covered walkway (Green landscapes) 2
Covered walkway that incorporates provision for the
disabled
3
4 Transport hub within the residential area with covered
seating and waiting area for a minimum of 25 % of the
total number of residential units
1
5 1 - 5
Provision for car, bike, scooter park near to mass transit 2
Dedicated bicycle lane 3
Dedicated bicycle parking area 4
Community Services and Connectivity
1
Selection of sites close to basic amenities and planning of
new areas with reduced mass commute ; also office
timings be zoned as per the traffic and also during
monsoons, so that citizens can save time, reach home on
time as well as reduce GHG emissions
1
5 1 - 5
2
Basic Amenities as listed below are provided or are
available within 750m of the residential units (reduced
2

13. points if more than 750m away) :
Grocery Store
Restaurant or Coffee Shop
Religious site
Playground or Public Park
3
Other Amenities available within 750m of the residential
units (0.5 point per item or equivalent up to maximum of 2
points. Less 0.5 point if more than 750m away): 1. Hospital
or Medical Center 2. Police Station 3. School and Day care
Bank, Post Office or ATM
3
4 Additional Amenities available within 750m of the
residential units (0.5 point per item or equivalent up to
maximum of 2 points. Less 0.5 point if more than 750m
away): 1. Library 2. Community Center or Hall
3. Supermarket 4. Barber Shop 5. Laundry
4
Open Spaces, landscaping and climate change mitigation
5 Development should have smaller carbon footprint and
equal landscaping, thereby reducing the effects of heat
islands around hard areas.
1
5
1– 5
6 Provision of landscaping with right mix of native trees for
perceived urban greening efforts and better air pollution
abatement
2
7 Provision for extra points in case of additional landscaping 3
Storm water management
Manage surface water run-off.
Reduce pollution and storm water loading of the river
systems from the development.
Reduce flood risk.
Retain rainwater for recycling and appropriate use
5 5 1-5
Redevelopment of existing sites
Prohibit development in environmentally sensitive areas.
Encourage re-development of existing sites. Reward
rehabilitated sites
5
5 1-5
Re-development of existing sites or refurbishment of
existing building
5
Avoiding Environmentally Sensitive Areas
Do not develop buildings, roads or parking areas on
portions of sites that meet the following criteria:
Prime agriculture land as defined by the Town and
Country Planning Act
Land that is specifically earmarked as habitat for any
species threatened or endangered
Away from wetlands as per the Structure Plan of the area
4
5 1-5
Document Green Building Design features & strategies for
user information and guide for rating sustainable
performance. Provide a building User Manual
4

14. Materials and Resources
S.No. Area of Assessment – Attribute Criteria Aspect
Points
Maximum
Points
Score
Reused and Recycled Materials
Storage and collection of recyclables
1 Facilitate reduction of waste generated by construction,
safe disposal of wastes in landfills
1
5 1 – 5
2 During Construction, provide dedicated area and storage
for collection of non-hazardous materials for recycling
2
3 During Building Occupancy, provide permanent recycle
bins.
3
Materials Reuse and Selection
1
Reuse building materials in order to reduce demand for
virgin materials and to reduce waste, thereby reducing
impacts associated with the extraction and processing of
virgin resources. Integrate building design with careful
selection of building materials in relation with embodied
energy and durability of the materials to lower carbon
content and better building life cycle.
1 5 1 - 5
Construction Waste Management
1 Divert construction debris from landfill disposal and
redirect it for possible recyclable material / resources
sorting and back to manufacturing for reusing it.
1
5 1 -52 Recycle non-hazardous construction debris as much as
possible. Develop and implement management plan that
identifies the materials and streamline it as per the
material type
2
Sustainable Resources
Recycled Content Materials
1
Increase demand for building products that incorporate
recycled content materials, thereby reducing impacts
resulting from extraction and processing of virgin
materials.
1
5 1 -5
2
Use materials with recycled content in accordance with
the International Organization of Standards Document
2
Regional Materials
Increase the demand for building materials and products
that are extracted and manufactured locally, thereby
1
5 1 – 5

15. reducing the environmental impacts resulting from
transportation
Use building materials or products that have been
extracted, harvested or recovered, as well as
manufactured, within 500km of the project site for a
minimum of 20% (based on cost) of the total material
value. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing components
shall not be included. Only include materials
permanently installed in the project.
2
Sustainable Timber
Certified User, ecofriendly and ethically procured wood
materials ; Forest Stewardship Council compliant
products
1 5 1 -5
Water Efficiency
S.No. Area of Assessment – Attribute
Criteria
Aspect Points Maximum
Points
Score
Water Harvesting and Recycling
Rainwater harvesting
1 Encourage rainwater harvesting
that will lead to reduction in
water consumption
1
5 1 - 5
2 Rainwater harvesting that leads
to ≥5 reduction in water
consumption
2
3 Rainwater harvesting that leads
to ≥15 reduction in water
consumption
3
4 Rainwater harvesting that leads
to ≥25 reduction in water
consumption
3
5 Rainwater harvesting that leads
to ≥45 reduction in water
consumption
4
Water Recycling
Encourage water recycling that will lead to reduction in water consumption
1 Treat and recycle ≥5 waste water
that leads to reduction in water
consumption
1
4 1 – 52 Treat and recycle ≥15 waste
water that leads to reduction in
water consumption
2
3 Treat and recycle ≥25 waste 4

16. water that leads to reduction in
water consumption
4 Treat and recycle ≥45 waste
water that leads to reduction in
water consumption
4
Increased Efficiency
1 Water efficient Landscaping 2
2 1- 22 Use of recycled water for
landscapes/parks
2
Water Efficient Fittings
1
Encouraging water conserving
devices and sensors for reduced
water consumption
2
5 2 - 5
2 Reduce water consumption by
≥5
2
3 Reduce water consumption by
≥15
2
4 Reduce water consumption by
≥25
3
5 Reduce water consumption by
≥45
3
Innovation
S.No. Area of Assessment – Attribute Criteria Aspect
Points
Maximum
Points
Score
1 Innovation via design for environment
(DfE)
4
5 1-5
2 Green Building Index 4
Way forward: This is the second series of primer on sustainability rating assessment –
An applicative primer. The next series shall include climate, size, area, social and governance
specific rating assessment specific to India with questionnaire, tools and disclosures metrics.
References:
1. Louise Ellison, Research Director, Investment Property Forum Patrick Brown, Assistant Direct
(Sustainability) British Property Federation
2. The Property Industry Alliance includes Investment Property Forum, British Property
Federation, RICS, British Council for Offices and British Council for Shopping Centres

17. 3. Bennett, R. and Bordass, W., 2007; Keep it simple and do it well, Sustainability supplement to
Building magazine, 28 September, Digging beneath the green wash, pps 8-11.
4. Better Buildings Partnership, 2010 Managing Agents Toolkit (forthcoming) Better Buildings
Partnership, 2009 Benchmarking for sustainable property – principles for best practice
5. DEFRA 2009. Guidelines to Defra / DECC’s GHG Conversion Factors for Company Reporting:
Methodology Paper for Emission Factors, DEFRA [www.defra.gov.uk] Ellison
6. The GRESB (www.gresb.com)
7. GRIHA : http://www.grihaindia.org/