Green Building and LEED Certification: One of the many attempts to ensure sustainability in Bangladesh.
The spiraling concern for saving the environment and its resources has led many platforms to opt for the green building strategy, which takes into account
the environmental factors and efficient distribution of limited resources. Bangladesh has also stepped up in the initiative of Green building strategy, and at present Plummy Fashions, of Bangladesh, is thegreenest knit apparel factory in the world awarded by USGBC ( U.S. Green Building Council). Amongst the
numerous Green Building rating systems available, LEED certification is the most widely used rating system worldwide, as well as in Bangladesh.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) has 110 credits in total, and consists of 4 levels of certification for industries, offices, retails, residential, and other building projects. LEED Certified buildings are on the rise globally, with the USA occupying the leading position in terms of projects and space. The LEED Certification process consists of four simple steps, starting with registering for a project online through their website.
Within a short time, the number of LEED-certified projects has risen above 160 in Bangladesh, this has led multiple banks and NBFIs, including Bangladesh
Bank, to come up with several financing schemes to help finance the green construction projects. Besides these, Green Transformation Fund and SREUP Financing Scheme (Program to Support Safety Retrofits and Environmental Upgrades in the Bangladeshi Ready-Made Garments Sector) have also come up with initiatives, specific to the RMG industry, to finance green building. Thus, these initiatives have allowed many clients to benefit from the low-cost funds.
With the availability of more funding options and awareness, there can be an upsurge in the number of green building projects in Bangladesh. With climate
change being one of the most heated issues in the contemporary world, it is time to train more experts in this field so that the new generation of professionals will understand the significance of the issue.
Bonnishikha Chowdhury
Executive Officer
IDLC Finance Limited