Page 15 - Breathing Cleaner Air - Ten Scalable Solutions for Indian Cities
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11 Clean Air Mission for India - Ten Solutions
for India-pertinent dose-response data, there is a clear Improving the energy efficiency of room air
consensus that improving health is a primary driver to conditioning units can reduce energy demand,
reduce air pollution. equivalent to avoiding the need for 60–140 medium-
sized peak power plants in India by 2030 (Shah et
The Government of India has constituted an expert al., 2015a). These energy efficiency gains would
committee under the Ministry of Health and Family avoid related air pollution, save lives, and otherwise
Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India, which came improve health (Guttikunda and Jawahar, 2014; Lim et
up with a report (MoHFW 2015) outlining key source- al., 2012). They also would mitigate climate change by
specific measures to reduce exposure to air pollution preventing nearly 100 Gt CO2 by 2050 globally. In India,
in India. The Ministry has taken a lead in recognizing air improved A/C efficiency, along with the transition to
pollution as a national health concern. low-GWP refrigerants, would amount to roughly twice
the commitment in India’s National Solar Mission
We find that agricultural impacts of ozone pollution (Shah et al., 2015a).
assessed by research groups in India (IITM and
TERI), and by international groups (UCSD, Princeton Air conditioning contributes 40–60% of summer peak
University, Stockholm Environment Institute, loads in cities such as Delhi. Thus, a large fraction of the
European Commission) converge on the science. pollution related to diesel generator sets that are used
They all show that air pollution (ozone) exposure during blackouts could also be indirectly attributed
significantly decreases crop yields for almost all crops; to AC use. Improving grid reliability, while tightening
some (e.g., wheat) are impacted more severely than the stringency of the A/C star rating programme
others (e.g. rice). The magnitude of impacts, however, administered by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE),
differs between studies, suggesting further research in can, thus, further mitigate air pollution. For example,
this direction. Nevertheless, all studies concur with the Shah et al. (2016) finds that improving the A/C
finding that curbing ozone pollution can substantially efficiency up to an Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency
increase the crop yields. Ratio (ISEER) level of 3.5 has a payback period of 1.1
years and up to 5.2 will have a consumer payback of
The impact of aerosols on dimming and other related less than 3 years.
climatic changes in India have also been studied by a
number of research groups across the world, including Nexus between energy, air pollution, and climate
Indian scientific institutes. All studies again converge change—Energy use is the primary cause of the
to state that aerosols have led to significant amounts release of GHG and air pollutants in India. As a result,
of dimming of solar radiation, the net effect of which switching from fossil fuels to renewables (solar, wind,
is to reduce monsoon rainfall as summarized in a new geothermal, hydro, and nuclear) for power generation
international study (Li et al., 2016) by authors from to mitigate emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse
US, China, India, and Europe. The studies vary in the gases, will also eliminate air pollutant emissions.
magnitude of impacts and their regional patterns, On the other hand, reducing air pollution emissions
and hence, further studies are required. However, through end-of-pipe measures will not necessarily
the compelling evidence is that curbing air pollution reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this context,
particles (aerosols) is likely to increase monsoon India’s ambitious target of 100GW power generation
precipitation (Krishnamurti et al. 2013). through solar by 2022 will contribute significantly
to reducing PM, especially sulfates, fly ash, and
Black carbon is a major climate warming pollutant, nitrates. Similarly, switching to electric cars fueled by
in addition to its impact on health and regional batteries or hydrogen fuel cells would eliminate both
climate. New studies (by Stockholm University and IIT, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, provided
Kanpur) have reduced the uncertainty surrounding the primary power (for batteries and fuel cells) is
the radiative forcing by black carbon. They are also generated by renewable (e.g solar) and not fossil
quantifying the warming effect of brown carbon fuels. There are significant opportunities to reduce
emitted by the burning of biomass. Due to the air pollution by mitigating climate change. Likewise,
short lifetime of BC particles in the atmosphere, the there are significant opportunities to mitigate climate
reduction of BC can bring nearly immediate benefits in change by curbing air pollution.
terms of health and climate.
for India-pertinent dose-response data, there is a clear Improving the energy efficiency of room air
consensus that improving health is a primary driver to conditioning units can reduce energy demand,
reduce air pollution. equivalent to avoiding the need for 60–140 medium-
sized peak power plants in India by 2030 (Shah et
The Government of India has constituted an expert al., 2015a). These energy efficiency gains would
committee under the Ministry of Health and Family avoid related air pollution, save lives, and otherwise
Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India, which came improve health (Guttikunda and Jawahar, 2014; Lim et
up with a report (MoHFW 2015) outlining key source- al., 2012). They also would mitigate climate change by
specific measures to reduce exposure to air pollution preventing nearly 100 Gt CO2 by 2050 globally. In India,
in India. The Ministry has taken a lead in recognizing air improved A/C efficiency, along with the transition to
pollution as a national health concern. low-GWP refrigerants, would amount to roughly twice
the commitment in India’s National Solar Mission
We find that agricultural impacts of ozone pollution (Shah et al., 2015a).
assessed by research groups in India (IITM and
TERI), and by international groups (UCSD, Princeton Air conditioning contributes 40–60% of summer peak
University, Stockholm Environment Institute, loads in cities such as Delhi. Thus, a large fraction of the
European Commission) converge on the science. pollution related to diesel generator sets that are used
They all show that air pollution (ozone) exposure during blackouts could also be indirectly attributed
significantly decreases crop yields for almost all crops; to AC use. Improving grid reliability, while tightening
some (e.g., wheat) are impacted more severely than the stringency of the A/C star rating programme
others (e.g. rice). The magnitude of impacts, however, administered by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE),
differs between studies, suggesting further research in can, thus, further mitigate air pollution. For example,
this direction. Nevertheless, all studies concur with the Shah et al. (2016) finds that improving the A/C
finding that curbing ozone pollution can substantially efficiency up to an Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency
increase the crop yields. Ratio (ISEER) level of 3.5 has a payback period of 1.1
years and up to 5.2 will have a consumer payback of
The impact of aerosols on dimming and other related less than 3 years.
climatic changes in India have also been studied by a
number of research groups across the world, including Nexus between energy, air pollution, and climate
Indian scientific institutes. All studies again converge change—Energy use is the primary cause of the
to state that aerosols have led to significant amounts release of GHG and air pollutants in India. As a result,
of dimming of solar radiation, the net effect of which switching from fossil fuels to renewables (solar, wind,
is to reduce monsoon rainfall as summarized in a new geothermal, hydro, and nuclear) for power generation
international study (Li et al., 2016) by authors from to mitigate emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse
US, China, India, and Europe. The studies vary in the gases, will also eliminate air pollutant emissions.
magnitude of impacts and their regional patterns, On the other hand, reducing air pollution emissions
and hence, further studies are required. However, through end-of-pipe measures will not necessarily
the compelling evidence is that curbing air pollution reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this context,
particles (aerosols) is likely to increase monsoon India’s ambitious target of 100GW power generation
precipitation (Krishnamurti et al. 2013). through solar by 2022 will contribute significantly
to reducing PM, especially sulfates, fly ash, and
Black carbon is a major climate warming pollutant, nitrates. Similarly, switching to electric cars fueled by
in addition to its impact on health and regional batteries or hydrogen fuel cells would eliminate both
climate. New studies (by Stockholm University and IIT, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, provided
Kanpur) have reduced the uncertainty surrounding the primary power (for batteries and fuel cells) is
the radiative forcing by black carbon. They are also generated by renewable (e.g solar) and not fossil
quantifying the warming effect of brown carbon fuels. There are significant opportunities to reduce
emitted by the burning of biomass. Due to the air pollution by mitigating climate change. Likewise,
short lifetime of BC particles in the atmosphere, the there are significant opportunities to mitigate climate
reduction of BC can bring nearly immediate benefits in change by curbing air pollution.
terms of health and climate.
