Page 38 - Shelter-April 2024
P. 38
POLICY REVIEW
leads to water pollution and and affordability of energy efforts with incentives and
soil pollution in urban areas. services for urban residents regulations to reduce energy
Deforestation and loss of and businesses. It can enhance consumption and greenhouse
urban green space contribute the liveability and social and gas emissions. Cities are also
to climate change, and the economic resilience of cities embracing renewable energy
loss of biodiversity is one by improving the quality of integration, particularly solar
of the challenges facing life, health, and well-being power, to enhance energy
Indian cities with regard to of urban dwellers, as well as efficiency and sustainability.
energy consumption and creating new opportunities These policies are aimed at
environmental impacts. for employment, innovation, creating resilient low-carbon
Inadequate infrastructure and competitiveness[10]. cities that improve the quality
and governance, which affect Therefore, integrating energy of life of residents and mitigate
the provision and efficiency efficiency measures into urban environmental impact.
of energy, water, transport, planning and development is The Indian Smart City
waste management, and a key strategy for achieving Mission is a flagship initiative
sanitation services, as well sustainable and low-carbon aimed at transforming urban
as the coordination among urbanisation. areas into sustainable and
various stakeholders and Policy Framework and technologically advanced
sectors. Low awareness centres. One of the key focus
and capacity limits the Initiatives area of this mission is on
adoption and implementation According to Indian’s Energy developing energy-efficient
of sustainable and low- Efficiency Landscape Report infrastructure to enhance
carbon solutions such as [11], National and state- sustainability and reduce
renewable energy, energy level policies in India are energy consumption in cities.
efficiency, green buildings, driving initiatives to promote As part of the Smart City
and intelligent mobility. energy efficiency in cities, Mission, cities are encouraged
[9] also stated that climate focusing on sustainable urban to implement intelligent
change, which exacerbates development and reduced energy management
the environmental risks and energy consumption. The systems, renewable energy
vulnerabilities of Indian National Sustainable Habitat solutions and energy-efficient
cities, such as sea-level rise, Mission (NMSH) emphasises technologies to optimise
flooding, droughts, and heat improvements in energy resource utilisation and reduce
waves. efficiency in buildings, waste environmental impacts. This
management and public includes initiatives such as
The use of sustainable and transportation systems to
low carbon solutions can make cities more sustainable. smart street lighting, energy-
efficient buildings, intelligent
reduce the energy demand Energy-saving building transportation systems, and
and greenhouse gas emissions regulations (ECBC) are waste-to-energy projects.
of cities, thereby favourably standards for optimising
impacting the global energy energy use in commercial By integrating energy-
consumption and the buildings, while Smart efficient infrastructure into
environment. [8]. Also, it can City Mission integrates urban development projects,
lower the infrastructure costs energy-efficient solutions The Smart City Mission is
and investments for energy for urban development. aimed not only at improving
supply and distribution, as State energy conservation the quality of life of residents,
well as improve the reliability policies complement these but also at contributing to the
36 HUDCO-HSMI Publication
