Mumbai and Bengaluru sees highest leasing in green-certified buildings with 50% share

With an unwavering focus on sustainable built spaces, occupiers’ preference to lease in green certified buildings has gained momentum in key office markets across India. During Q2 2024, about 13 mn sq ft of office space in the top six cities has been leased in green-certified buildings.

This represents a 24% YoY increase and accounts for an impressive 82% share in overall leasing during the quarter. This rapid growth is an indication of the rising awareness amongst corporate occupiers with respect to the role that built structures have to play in containing issues related to climate change through reducing carbon footprint.

The share of Bengaluru followed by Mumbai remained significant, together accounting for over 50% of the leases in green-certified buildings in Q2 2024. Interestingly, of the 13 mn sq ft of leases signed in green buildings, about 60% were in relatively newer developments which have come in the last 5 years.

Currently, LEED, GRIHA and WELL are some of the prominent green certifications available in the Indian market, which validate buildings as ‘green’ by assessing various parameters including energy consumption, waste generation and alignment of design with health and wellness aspects. Real estate developers are increasingly aligning their offerings with global sustainability standards, simultaneously presenting various tangible benefits to their tenants including lower operational costs, improved indoor air quality and enhanced employee productivity.

City-wise leasing in green buildings (Q1 2023 – Q2 2024)