Please join the Building Energy Exchange for the latest in our International Pathways series and a unique opportunity to learn how India’s building industry is pivoting to confront the global climate crisis.   Dr. Satish Kumar, President and Executive Director of the Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE) in India will present and discuss the dynamic energy policy and technological innovation programs fostering India’s journey towards a climate resilient and energy secure future.

India enjoys the world’s fastest growing building stock and is expected to add about 375 billion square feet of new floor area by 2050. It is also projected to be the largest growth market for air-conditioners worldwide. While these growth trends are aligned with India’s development needs and Sustainable Development Goals, they trigger a significant increase in energy demand, with national as well as global ramifications. Under a business-as-usual scenario, India’s energy demand would double between 2018 and 2040—which would be the single largest source of energy demand growth in the world, according to World Energy Outlook.

Cognizant that the energy and environmental impacts of India’s developmental needs must be neutralized, the nation is already taking proactive steps towards sustainable growth and meeting their global climate change commitments. For example, in 2019, India became the first major global economy to issue a national cooling action plan; and, the Indian government is a core supporter of the Global Cooling Prize, a global technology competition that may radically change residential cooling practices.

Dr. Satish Kumar has positioned AEEE at the forefront of these and other critical policy and market transformation activities in India. While important strides on energy efficiency policy development and large scale implementation have been made across India, application at the sub-national level remains an area of concern.  In this area, India can potentially learn from the leadership shown by sub-national activity in the US—in particular the progress that has been made on data disclosure, benchmarking and energy data management. Dr. Kumar’s presentation will focus on the unique aspects of advancing energy policy in a developing country, and draw out what India can learn from the exciting work that is happening in the US, especially at the State and City level.

Speaker
Dr. Satish Kumar, Executive Director and President, Alliance for an Energy Efficienct Economy

Moderator
Emily Dean, Director of Market Development, NYSERDA