New Delhi [India], July 30 (ANI/India PR Distribution): The National Housing Bank (NHB) organised the final event for showcasing the contributions of the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources and Energy Financing (SUNREF) India Housing Programme toward green housing in the country at Silver Oak, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, on July 25, 2022. CRISIL Risk and Infrastructure Solutions (CRIS) Limited is providing Technical Assistance to the SUNREF program.

SUNREF program commenced in April 2019 with the objective of scaling up green affordable housing projects in India. Over the past three years, SUNREF India Housing Programme has provided refinance of around Euro 100 million to 5300 households, of which more than 60 per cent are female owners and half of the households belong to lower income groups/ economically weaker sections.

The NHB's efforts on enhancing green affordable housing in the country is in line with the Government of India's priorities to support climate change.

In the past three years, the programme has undertaken 20 training programmes and 6 events, training 1,500+ people in different concepts of green housing. Additionally, the programme has developed various knowledge collaterals, including brochures, leaflets, success story booklets, promotional film, and TV commercial related to benefits of green housing to propagate it in India.

The event saw the participation of more than 100 representatives from amongst the multilateral/bilateral agencies, housing finance companies, real estate developers, government agencies, green-building experts, architects, and green material producers from various parts of the country.

The event was graced by S.K. Hota, Managing Director - NHB, Laurent Le Danois, Attache, and Team Leader of the Cooperation section of the European Union Delegation to India and Bhutan and Jacky Amprou - Regional Director, AFD South Asia. Other senior participants from the industry and green building rating agency included Nitin Tyagi, Director Nilaya greens and Sanjay Seth - CEO GRIHA Council.

S.K. Hota, Managing Director, NHB, said, "NHB, through its various refinance and direct finance activities, has been working to facilitate the supply of affordable housing in the country. With SUNREF India, we have gone a step ahead and promoted green affordable housing, too. SUNREF India has paved the path for the next generation towards green housing in the country, and this is just the beginning of change."

The EU and the Government of India are cooperating closely under the partnership on Smart and Sustainable Urbanisation.

Laurent Le Danois, Attache- Team Leader of the Cooperation section of the European Union Delegation to India and Bhutan, said, 'Sustainable practices are a must for avoiding the negative impacts of housing construction on the climate and for achieving sustainability goals. India, being at the stage of mass urbanisation, needs to adhere to green housing and energy efficient principles of construction'.

Jacky Amprou, Regional Director of South Asia, AFD, said, "AFD supports the development of affordable 'green' housing, which addresses environmental and social challenges in India. India has a huge shortfall of housing, mainly in urban areas and for populations with modest income levels. Indeed, 70 per cent of the housing that will exist in 2030 is yet to be constructed."

India has seen notable growth in green-rated residential buildings over the past decade. It is in this backdrop, that the event was organised in Delhi - the national capital which aimed at raising awareness on the importance of green affordable housing.

In order to spread the awareness further, a tv commercial and project end film developed under the SUNREF India project were released during the event. Green booklets focussing on Developers and Home buyers were also released in the event. The aim for the development of these booklets is to acquaint the mid-scale developers and home buyers on the practices/ technologies that can be imbibed in their construction methodology to make their conventional housing into green housing.

In the next months, the programme will focus on disseminating lesson learnt, recommendations and communication deliverables that have been finalized under the programme.

Rahul Bhave, Executive Director, NHB, delivered the concluding remarks and vote of thanks.

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