DuPont Building Innovations' Products Help Protect and Preserve Buildings NEW DELHI, India, April 8, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- DuPont (NYSE:DD) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote the cause of green building design and certification in India. The agreement was signed by Balvinder Kalsi, president of DuPont India, and Dr. R. K. Pachauri, director general, TERI, with Thomas F. Schuler, DuPont Building Innovations vice president and general manager, in attendance. The signing ceremony was held during the Talking Tomorrow Lecture Series organized by TERI-BCSD (Business Council for Sustainable Development) India, an industry group with 76 corporate members that engage with TERI on sustainable development, environmental management and corporate responsibility. "DuPont, like TERI, is committed to sustainable buildings. This agreement will further strengthen our long-standing working relationship," Schuler said. "We will continue to use science and innovation to deliver advanced products to the global marketplace, enabling architects and designers to build sustainable, cost- and energy-efficient buildings with solutions such as Tyvek(R) building wraps, vapor breathable radiant barriers and insulated panels for exterior cladding." "Buildings are responsible for at least 40 percent of energy use in most countries and are major contributors to global emissions," said Mili Majumdar, head of TERI's Green Building project (GRIHA). "Energy efficiency in buildings is very crucial in India since the construction sector is growing at a very fast pace. TERI has been at the forefront of spreading knowledge on energy efficiency and this MoU will help increase awareness and information on products for efficient buildings." TERI and DuPont also agreed on the need to have vapor breathability for a sound building envelope in the hot or mixed climate zones in India, where using vapor barriers could lead to moisture problems. Subject to approval by the Technical Advisory Committee set up by the Government of India, TERI agreed to recognize the effective design and use of air and water barriers in the building envelope, under the GRIHA rating system for Green Buildings.
