Blogs

This is the first in a series of blogs on the growing deployment of electric buses across the country. The series is a deep-dive on investments from both central and state governments and the role of e-buses in mitigating the impacts of climate change.

Over the last few years, several state governments have not only notified progressive electric vehicle policies but have also started investing in electric buses – reflecting their commitment towards mitigating impacts of climate change. While state governments are loosening their purse strings to purchase new-age buses,...

India made an eagerly awaited announcement of new climate action targets at the COP-26 summit in Glasgow. This included:

• Installing non-fossil fuel electricity capacity of 500 GW by 2030
• Sourcing 50% of energy requirement from renewables by 2030
• Reducing 1 billion tonnes of projected emissions from now till 2030
• Achieving carbon intensity reduction of 45% over 2005 levels by 2030
• Achieving net zero by 2070.

These new pledges go significantly beyond its current nationally determined contribution (NDC) under the Paris...

This blog was first published on NIUA.org on October 21, 2021.

The COVID-19 lockdown, imposed around the world, has triggered unprecedented changes in the lifestyle and behaviour of individuals. Restrictions on use of public spaces and physical distancing...

This blog was first published on NIUA.org on September 29, 2021.

Cities around the world are experiencing flooding, heatwaves and other climate-related disasters. The frequency and intensity of these disasters have amplified over the last few decades resulting in increased inequalities among communities. Ensuring equitable climate action will help support liveable neighbourhoods for people across demographic groups.

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This blog was first published on NIUA.org on September 8, 2021.

Indian cities have figured intermittently in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)’s solarization plans. In 2014-2015, the MNRE launched the Solar Cities program to ensure a minimum of 10% reduction in the projected demand for conventional energy in five years through a combination of Energy Efficiency (EE) and...

This blog first appeared on NIUA.org on August 4, 2021.

India’s buildings were responsible for 31% of all electricity consumed in 2017-18 (MOSPI 2020) and by 2040, this is expected to rise to half of all power consumed in the country. By 2040, India is expected to add 270 million people to its cities (IEA 2021). What is more, ongoing rapid urbanization would mean that over half the country’s population would be living in cities in less...

The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report released on 9 August 2021 warns, “India will see increased heat waves and heavy rainfall events, while glaciers will melt further, along with more compound events from rising sea-levels like flooding.” The report further states “the unequivocal human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean, and land”. As per the report, “continued global warming is projected to further intensify the global water cycle, including its variability, global monsoon...

This blog first appeared on WRI Insights on August 26, 2021.

The start of the 2021 monsoon season was a promising time for India’s farmers and water users. Heavy rains in June and the beginning of July filled the country’s reservoirs in states like Maharashtra and...

This blog first appeared on NIUA.org on July 28, 2021.

Adapting to climate risks is imperative for cities. Cities are the epicentre of life-shortening pollution, dwindling water supplies, deadly heatwaves, natural disasters, and climate change. Indian cities like New Delhi, Mumbai and...

This is the second in a series of blogs on hydrogen, which will involve discussions around range of electrolysis technologies currently available at commercial and laboratory levels. Given the rising global consensus towards the transition towards a green hydrogen economy in coming decades, availability of commercially operable electrolysis technologies will act as a backbone of hydrogen deployment across sectors. Maturity of electrolysis technologies would also be critical in facilitating India’s 450 GW RE target, given electrolysis’s ability to manage duck curve challenges through...