Green building codes for sustainable housing development in India: progress review and future pathways

Given the rapid urbanisation, acceleration of the anthropogenic transformation of landscapes and the escalating ecological imperatives facing India, robust and effective green building codes have become paramount in ensuring sustainable housing development. This paper reviews the effect of the development of green building codes on sustainable housing across India, especially as far as their compliance with SDGs. While prior literature targets policy formulation, more attention should be paid to researching the policy impacts and the difficulties in the corresponding policies’ implementation. To evaluate the effectiveness of the Green Buildings codes, the study uses systematic review of literature and policy documents, which works hand-in-hand with qualitative analysis. The research hypothesis posits that in regions having policies closely aligned with SDGs, there has been greater development of policies of sustainability and these areas exhibit enhanced development of policies and sustainability outcomes as evidenced by development of codes on maintaining resilience, environmental performance, and socio-economic equity This relationship is basis of the study hence the question; what factors enhance the potential for improved sustainability outcomes in green building codes aligned with SDGs? Research evidence indicates that despite intended high ambitions in formulation of codes, the eventual effectiveness is negated by weak operational compliance and geographical inequalities. This research forms part of a broader investigation into specific sections of the green building codes, covering energy efficiency, material utilisation, urban planning, and green space development. The study offers policy implications to policy makers and maps out a general guideline to enhance the implementation of sustainable features in housing delivery systems across the country.