Decarbonising: A Sustainable India Story

It will be important to implement strategies to decarbonize buildings, if India is to stay on track with its emissions reduction goals.

To fight climate change, it will be critical for India, and the world, to move toward decarbonizing industries, buildings, homes and transportation. The Indian government is constantly working towards identifying and adopting clean energy solutions across sectors. In fact, India is one of the few countries on track to meet its Paris Agreement target, achieving 21 percent of its pledge to reduce emissions intensity of GDP by 33-35 percent by 2030. Prime Minister Narendra Modi says the country is on track to achieving its climate goals ahead of targets thanks to shifts to energy-efficient systems and sustainable energy sources. 

To achieve its goals, the country is implementing a number of initiatives for a cleaner and safer environment for the future. One of these is the Perform, Achieve, and Trade (PAT) scheme, regulated by India’s Bureau of Energy Efficiency. This important program is meant to help industries significantly reduce energy emissions. 

Curbing emissions as energy use grows 

India is already the third largest consumer of energy and emitter of carbon dioxide globally. With substantial economic development in the country, energy demand is expected to increase substantially over the next 20 years. Manufacturing growth will contribute to that demand. 

Another large and growing contributor of carbon emissions is heating and cooling buildings. About 15 percent of global carbon emissions are due to heating and cooling buildings, and global heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) demand is expected to triple by 2050. Air conditioning accounts for up to 40 percent of a building’s total energy consumption. The Indian HVAC market is expected to grow to $31,598.6 million by 2030. This means it will be important to implement strategies to decarbonize buildings if India is to stay on track with its emissions reduction goals. Fortunately, technologies exist today that will help achieve this. 

Decarbonization story 

Accelerated innovation in system-level energy efficiency and electrification will help decrease carbon emissions of buildings. Historically, energy efficiency focused mainly on money-saving and improved comfort. Today, it’s key to reducing carbon emission of buildings; energy not used means emissions that are not generated. A range of technologies is available to increase buildings’ energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. This includes a holistic approach to building systems that reduce energy demand and fossil fuel use and operate on renewable energy sources. Examples include heat pump technologies that eliminate the need for fossil fuel boilers, thermal energy storage, and connected building controls. These solutions are sustainable and meet customers’ demands for comfort, cost-efficiency, and building performance. 

Another growing source of carbon emissions is heating and cooling of homes. The demand for residential air conditioning is growing globally, including in India. Worldwide, homes account for about 25 percent of all carbon emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by up to 20 percent in homes through the adoption of higher-efficiency HVAC, as well as changes in consumer behaviour to reduce energy use. 

Refrigerants also contribute to the environmental impact of buildings. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) commonly used as refrigerants in HVAC and refrigeration are greenhouse gases with long atmospheric lifetimes. India has ratified the Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which will phase out these harmful gases and replace them with next-generation refrigerants. 

Helping buildings and industries shift to low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerant alternatives in line with or ahead of the Kigali schedule will be an important part of addressing climate change. 

Transportation is one of the biggest sources of carbon emissions that the country must address, and the number of vehicles on the road is increasing. One overlooked source of emissions is refrigerated transport, necessary for delivering food, medicine and other important cargo. Food loss contributes to 10 percent of global emissions, and a sustainable cold chain will be an important part of the climate change solution. 

The way ahead 

India is already taking measures toward a sustainable future. However, it will be critical to curtail emissions and rapidly increase renewable energy sources as the country’s economy grows. 

In addition to technology, policy frameworks and decisions will be critical in determining whether India will continue its strong progress and play its role in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. 

A balanced mix of measures is needed – energy efficiency, carbon emissions reduction, a transition to renewable energy, phasing out high-GWP refrigerants, and shifts in business and consumer behaviours. Taking this approach will create a greener and better future for India and for the world. 

Expertise shared by 

Kishor Patil, Country Head, 

Trane HVAC Business India 

& SAARC Markets.