IGBC Convenes Industry Leaders in Kolkata to Drive Net Zero and Resilient Hospitality
Kolkata, May 31, 2026: The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), a division of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), hosted the IGBC Green Hospitality Summit 2026 at the Taj City Centre in Newtown to outline strategies for decarbonizing India’s tourism infrastructure. Centered on the theme “Sustainable Hospitality: Enabling Net Zero, Resilient & Experiential Infrastructure,” the event attracted policymakers, hotel developers, and sustainability experts. Highlighting the sector’s green expansion, the IGBC announced it has registered over 310 national hospitality projects totaling 92.86 million square feet of green building footprint, with 120 certified so far. In West Bengal alone, over 15 projects are registered, spanning 5.44 million square feet, IGBC said in a press release.
The summit featured high-impact panel discussions targeting the water-energy nexus, sustainable material sourcing, and operational decarbonization across hotel kitchens, laundry, and HVAC services. A dedicated technical track addressed emissions reduction across the broader supply chain to enhance Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance. The conference concluded with an awards ceremony recognizing 13 prominent hospitality groups, including Lemon Tree Hotels and The Leela Palaces, for adopting rigorous green building benchmarks.
Addressing the gathering, Harshvardhan Neotia, Chairman, Ambuja Neotia Group, Chairman, CII Suresh Neotia Centre of Excellence for Leadership, said, “Climate change is one of the most critical challenges our generation is facing, and the hospitality sector has a significant responsibility in shaping a more sustainable future. Sustainability must become an integral part of how we design, build and operate hospitality assets. We need to place the planet first, followed by people and performance, while recognising that profits are a natural outcome of responsible business practices. By intelligently leveraging technology, embracing renewable energy sources, creating nature-integrated spaces, promoting biodiversity, adopting eco-friendly materials, and strengthening collaboration across stakeholders through platforms like IGBC Green Hospitality Summit, the industry can redefine guest experiences while reducing its environmental footprint. Resorts and hotels have immense potential to become living examples of sustainable development through green landscapes, organic cultivation, microclimate enhancement, and resource-efficient operations. If we focus on doing our duty towards the environment and society, the results will follow. Meaningful transformation will require collective commitment and sustained efforts from all stakeholders to lead the hospitality sector towards a greener and more resilient future.”
Industry leaders underscored that green certifications are no longer just optional compliance measures but are now major market differentiators that influence consumer booking platforms.
Addressing the Developmental Shift in Hospitality, Sushil Mohta, Immediate Past Chairman, IGBC Kolkata, Chairman, Merlin Group, said, “The hospitality industry has undergone a remarkable transformation over the last decade. Hotels today are no longer standalone assets; they are becoming experience anchors that shape how cities and regions are perceived by travellers. As consumer expectations evolve, the sector is increasingly being defined by authenticity, cultural relevance, design excellence and sustainability. Sustainability has moved beyond compliance and is now an integral component of operational efficiency, asset resilience and long-term value creation. The growing integration of sustainability credentials such as IGBC Green Hotels Certification into digital travel ecosystems is an important development for the sector. When sustainability becomes visible during the booking journey, it directly influences traveller choices and creates stronger market preference for responsible hospitality. The future of hospitality will be shaped by how effectively the industry combines operational efficiency, guest experience and sustainability into a single value proposition.”
Experts emphasized that India’s surging tourism demand requires new infrastructure to be planned with strict resource lifecycle parameters from inception to daily operations.
Setting the theme for the summit, Ar. Vivek Singh Rathore, Chairman, IGBC Kolkata Chapter and Founder & Principal, The Salient, said, “India’s hospitality sector is witnessing unprecedented growth, supported by expanding tourism, improving connectivity and strong investor confidence. However, this growth must be accompanied by greater focus on resource efficiency, operational performance and climate resilience. Hospitality infrastructure is among the most resource-intensive building typologies, making sustainability central to its long-term success. IGBC has played a transformative role in advancing India’s green building movement, and the hospitality sector has emerged as one of its strongest contributors. The IGBC Green Hotels Rating System provides a comprehensive framework that addresses the entire lifecycle of hospitality projects—from planning and design to construction and operations. A fundamental principle of this framework is that sustainability and guest experience must work together, ensuring that environmental responsibility enhances, rather than compromises, comfort, wellness and satisfaction.”
