As India strives to recover from the havoc wreaked by the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to propel economic recovery through the most energy-efficient pathways, considering the detrimental impacts of climate change on human health and well-being, emerges.
Energy efficiency is central to India’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and 13 (Climate Action). India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) target on emission intensity can be easily achieved if the economic recovery is fuelled by incorporating energy-efficient products and services i.e., energy-efficient consumer durables, energy-efficient industrial practices, electric vehicles, sustainable cold-chain for agriculture and, Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC)-compliant construction.
Each state and union territory (UT) must commit to a green recovery path best suited to and aligned with the state/UT’s own socio-economic development goals. The State Designated Agency (SDA) established in each state/UT, under the Energy Conservation Act 2001 (EC Act), has been empowered by the EC Act to coordinate, regulate, and enforce provisions of the EC Act within the state/UT.
