Leaderspeak | Urban Operations & RE
Cities’ role primary in increasing uptake of RE Cities will be a key player in accelerating renewable energy uptake and driving the energy transition movement. City leaders are focusing on using clean energy to build sustainable and liveable cities for future generations. Since India is among the few countries, which have shifted its focus to generate clean energy, the idea must trickle down at the local level to achieve the desired objectives within the targeted timeline
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ational governments generally decide the policies concerning power generation, supply and preferable energy sources. The role of city governments is no less important. Since most of the countries in the world are considerably urbanised, over 70 per cent of energy is consumed in cities. Most of the energy is used mainly for industrial activities, running the government and private buildings, powering homes, municipal operations, and transporting people and goods from one place to another, among many other usages. The role of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and government institutions are of great importance to ensure optimal use of energy and promote energy generation from renewable sources. ULBs can play a proactive role in achieving urban renewable energy
targets to encourage the wider uptake of renewables by other stakeholders, including comprehensive policies, awareness-raising and stakeholder dialogue. They should also define their energy targets and work towards achieving them. It will undoubtedly require the devolution of decisive and financial powers allotted to Urban Local Bodies by the central government for advancing in the sector. Municipalities need to enforce stricter implementation of the Energy Efficiency Building Codes’ norms, so the consumption of energy in urban buildings is optimised effectively, and their energy use becomes sustainable and efficient. It is important to note that buildings consume about 40 per cent of a city’s energy. All India Institute of Local Self-Government is implementing the ECBC codes in several states and training officials of municipalities and other governments’
The pandemic taught us that reversing climate change impacts is possible. It increased public consciousness to demand clean and healthy environments. Many cities have taken into account the demand of their citizens and have ensured energy efficiency is part of their green recovery plan
28 March 2021 | www.urbanupdate.in
agencies for effective implementation. Cities are also making initiatives at their level for maximising energy efficiency in urban management. According to the Renewables in Cities 2021 Global Status Report, at least 834 cities in 72 countries, covering 558 million people, had adopted a renewable energy target in at least one sector by the end of 2020. Altogether, these cities had a combined total of 1,088 targets, including 653 targets for 100% renewable energy use either in municipal operations or city-wide. While municipal renewable energy targets have grown worldwide, they are most common in Europe and the United States and remain less widespread in Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Indian cities and EE
As Indian cities transform their municipal operations and provide better facilities to urban citizens, energy consumption is bound to go up. Some reports suggest that the energy demand for running urban India would double in the next ten years. The year 2020 was unusual. The government enforced lockdown directly impacted the cities’ economic activities and resulted in a significant drop in urban energy demand. Urban activities came to a halt and caused a substantial reduction in emissions from cities. People witnessed blue skies and experienced clean air in cities. The pandemic taught us that reversing climate change impacts is possible. It increased public consciousness to demand clean and healthy
