ITC Grand Chola recieves the highest national rating for green building
February 14, 2013
ITC Grand Chola is India's first hotel to receive a 5 Star Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA)
Reaffirming its commitment to the ethos of 'Responsible Luxury, 'ITC Hotels secured a 5 Star GRIHA, the highest national rating for Green Buildings, for ITC Grand Chola, the 600-key luxury hotel in Chennai. The hotel is the first in India to secure the 5-star rating from the Association for Development and Research of Sustainable Habitats (ADaRSH) through GRIHA. This recognition was presented by the Hon'ble President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, to Nakul Anand, Executive Director, ITC Ltd, at the annual National Conference on Green Design at the VigyanBhavan, earlier today.
GRIHA, a Green Building design evaluation system, is the National Rating System of India conceived by TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) and developed jointly with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India. ITC Grand Chola was rated on 34 criteria, categorized under various sections including site selection &site planning, conservation and efficient utilization of resources, building operation and maintenance and innovation points. Each criterion has a number of points assigned to it and a building is required to score a minimum of 50 points for certification. GRIHA awards different levels of certification (1 to 5 stars) based on the score. ITC Grand Chola garnered 91 points to become the first hotel in the country to secure a 5 star rating.
Speaking on the recognition, Nakul Anand, Executive Director-ITC Ltd. said, "This rating underscores ITC Grand Chola's accreditation as the World's Largest LEED® Platinum Green Building and ITC Hotels' commitment to continue providing inspiration to the Green Building movement in India." 100% of the electrical energy demands of ITC Grand Chola are being met through renewable energy sources. Efficient fixtures reduce the building's water use by 35% compared to internationally benchmarked luxury hotel standards. Almost 100% of the hotel's waste is recycled for useful purposes.
ITC Hotels' philosophy is to deliver the best in luxury, whilst enabling planet positive experiences through its 'Responsible Luxury' credo, an ethos derived from ITC's commitment to pursue Triple Bottom Line objectives of contributing to building economic, environmental and social capital. ITC Grand Chola embodies the company's commitment and ITC Hotels' ethos, further contributing to ITC Hotels' unique milestone of being the 'Greenest Luxury hotel chain in the world'.
In addition to the wide spectrum of environment-friendly measures that ITC Hotels implement, the ITC group's carbon positive, water positive and solid waste recycling positive status ensures that a guest's stay at any of its luxury hotels contributes to a lower carbon footprint.
At the heart of the 'Responsible Luxury' credo lies the product design of green buildings, which are energy efficient, utilize renewable energy, conserve and recycle water and take concrete steps to preserve the eco-system around them. ITC Hotels have also innovated in the use of materials that utilize renewable sources and are biodegradable or conserve scarce environmental resources. Some hotels have also innovated in their offerings in food and beverages to optimize customer satisfaction while achieving a lower carbon footprint.
Supporting national priorities, ITC's hotels business will continue to make a meaningful contribution to national economic development as an employment multiplier creating sustainable livelihoods, while enriching the tourism landscape of the country.
