BEE seeks views building code

Hyderabad/Vijayawada: The Ministry of Power through the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has initiated the groundbreaking Energy Conservation and Sustainable Building Code (ECSBC) to redefine India's construction landscape to drastically reduce carbon footprint.

According to Director General of BEE Abhay Bhakre, the code aims to reshape building practices, cutting carbon emissions and driving economic growth. He said the code's implementation is vital for cities like Visakhapatnam due to rising energy demands from rapid urbanisation. Sustainable buildings aim to minimise the environmental impact by efficiently using energy, water, and resources, he said, while highlighting ECSBC's potential to cut building sector energy demand by 50 per cent by 2030, aligning with India's Paris Agreement.

The BEE has invited interested parties to provide feedback on the draft ECSBC (commercial & residential) by February 12. BEE will meticulously review the inputs to inform the final document, underscoring the pivotal role of stakeholders in shaping the code's efficacy and success. During a recently held two-day stakeholder consultation in Hyderabad, Bhakre underscored ECSBC's potential to cut 50 per cent of energy demand in the building sector by 2030, translating to a reduction of 300 million tons of CO2 emissions.

He said serious efforts are being made to establish rigorous energy performance standards for new commercial and residential constructions, taking a holistic approach to sustainability beyond emissions reduction. Acknowledging the significant impact of buildings on global energy usage and carbon footprint, India underscores its commitment to environmental stewardship, with ECSBC serving as a cornerstone initiative.

With buildings and construction responsible for 39 per cent of global energy-related CO2 emissions and 36 per cent of final energy consumption, ECSBC aims to enhance the quality, comfort, and affordability of built environments, bolstering energy security, economic prosperity, and societal advancement in response to these alarming statistics. Sustainable building encompasses a holistic ethos, spanning from meticulous planning and design to construction, operation, maintenance, and renovation phases. Achieving this paradigm shift necessitates close collaboration among architects, engineers, developers, and all stakeholders involved in building projects, BEE stated in a media release on Sunday.