Participants in the International Conference on Infrastructure Development and Sustainability
New Delhi:
For a fast-growing economy like India, energy transition and infrastructure development are inextricably linked. As the country moves towards achieving its ambitious goal of being free of energy imports by 2047, India could become a net exporter of green energy, experts said at a conference at Adani University.
The second edition of the International Conference on Infrastructure Development and Sustainability (ICIDS) was held on December 11 and 12 and the conference brought together experts from various fields who discussed the emerging agenda in sustainable infrastructure development, green transition and financing.
Inaugurating the conference organized by Adani University, Professor Ravi P. Singh, the Provost of Adani University, spoke about India's incredible progress in recent years in infrastructure and energy and said that the country is away to become 'Viksit Bharat'. (Developed India).
He focused on three major issues: infrastructure development, energy transition and climate change. He said India currently has an energy capacity of about 450 GW, and almost 50 percent of that comes from non-fossil fuels.
“India plans to reach 500 GW by 2030. But given our rapid development, we may need to achieve this goal even sooner,” he added.
Professor Arun Sharma, recipient of the Royal Order of Australia and vice-president of Adani University, said India faces the unenviable task of simultaneously undertaking the energy transition and building its infrastructure, with both objectives intrinsically linked.
“India must do this responsibly,” he said.
He emphasized the need for India to build its infrastructure in a sustainable manner and elaborated on India's 2047 goal of becoming free from energy imports. Currently, the country spends more than $200 billion on energy imports.
On the country's potential to lead the global energy transition, he said, “India can be a net exporter of green energy for the first time, and this is where green hydrogen and its derivatives come into play.”
He emphasized the importance of electrifying activities to reduce the use of fossil fuels and highlighted the role of circular economy practices in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The keynote address at the conference was delivered by Professor Bharat Dahiya, from the Research Center for Sustainable Development and Innovation, School of Global Studies, Thammasat University, Thailand.
He cited the World Economic Forum's recognition that the “Asian Century” is about to return, even as environmental problems, especially climate change, pose significant threats.
He called for long-term planning, including 100-year strategies, and suggested using mature-based solutions (NbS) and ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) in infrastructure development, especially in urban areas. Professor Dahiya also emphasized the need for policy reforms and local participation in decision-making to drive sustainable infrastructure development, especially the involvement of city governments and local communities.
On the first day of the event, a compilation of abstracts of the research papers presented at the conference entitled “Book of Abstracts” was launched and the conference compendium entitled “Infrastructure Development: Theory, Practice and Policy”, published by Routledge Taylor & Francis, was also launched released. It is a selection of research papers from the previous conference.
The conference also featured four panel discussions – on emerging trends in urban and regional transport, energy transitions and sustainable infrastructure, urban transformation: future models and practices and revitalizing PPP in the infrastructure sector.
During the discussion on emerging trends in urban and regional transport, Ajit Pai from the Delhi Urban Art Commission spoke on urbanization and the relevance of planning requirements for improving liveability in the Indian context. He emphasized the need to anchor the carbon footprint at the city level and not be limited to the building level.
While discussing energy transitions and sustainable infrastructure, Raj Kumar Jain, Head of BD & Sustainable Strategies, Adani New Industries Ltd, spoke about India's progress in adopting green energy, highlighting the importance of green electrons, cost of it and the renewable energy landscape. He highlighted programs like Prime Minister Surya Ghar and Muft Bijli Yojana aimed at promoting the adoption of renewable energy. He also addressed the challenge of evacuating power from remote areas, especially those with renewable energy projects.
On the topic of Urban Transformation: Future Models and Practices, Arvind Rajput of GIFT City Company Ltd spoke about the challenges faced by Indian urbanization and the constraints arising from limited space. He shed light on innovative initiatives such as development of utility tunnel, zero discharge water management system, state-of-the-art city command and control system and many more, which are being implemented in GIFT City to address these challenges.
On reviving PPP in infrastructure sector, Professor G. Raghuram, Professor Emeritus, Gujarat Maritime University, said it is time to explore new fronts for PPP mode in infrastructure operation and development.
On the second day of the conference, research scientists from around the world discussed more than 50 paper presentations.
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