Powering ahead in 2021

The new year has brought with it new hopes and aspirations for everyone. These could be challenging times for governments, businesses, economies, people in general, and cities. But, as the saying goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Cities are fine examples of this old maxim as they always sail through hurdles and emerge stronger after a catastrophe.

The world is gradually coming out of the clutches of the Covid-19 Pandemic. With the beginning of the vaccination drive for the priority groups, the future is looking optimistic. Now, the economic and social recovery has started taking place. The stock market which, in general, depicts the sentiments of people about the future, is in green. Cities are gradually starting their activities as planned in the pre-Covid era. The world is entering into normalcy again.
It is now up to national and local governments to decide the contours of the new normal in our cities. We must not aspire to see greens just in Sensexes and Dows of the world and must adapt to green practices in our urban management and governance as well. Keeping the lessons in the rearview mirror, city leaders must forge ahead and plan their policies and programs.

New road to recovery

We have recently witnessed an economic slowdown and its severe impacts on the public at large. According to a news article published in the Bloomberg, deep recessions in the past have been followed by spikes in industrial activity that churned out far more greenhouse gas than was avoided in the downturn. Carbon dioxide emissions dropped 1.4 per cent in 2009, for instance, before rising 5.1 per cent the following year when the economy started to bounce back. This approach cannot be a suitable option today because such an increase in emissions could wreak havoc and cause irreversible climate damage.
Understanding the situation, many governments worldwide are implementing climate-friendly policies such as switching to green energy alternatives, strengthening climate policies, creating awareness on the positives of the green and sustainable development approach.
The fall in sustainable energy prices gives governments hope that they can drive their development agenda riding on green energy. It has also given optimism to countries that investment in green energy will pay off. India is one of the foremost promoters of this idea, and their decision to promoting renewable energy is trickling down at the local level. Many municipal corporations and councils have decided to reduce their dependence on traditional electricity sources and generate green energy to run urban operations. Green energy has double benefits for local bodies.
The first one is that contribution to the larger global agenda of protecting our planet will be fulfilled, and the second, they can reduce their energy expenditure. At present, their spending on electricity hovers between 20 and 30 per cent of their total budget. It varies from a large corporation to a small one. This year, cities can lay their future roadmap and decide on the kind of development they want and ensure that their priorities do not disturb the natural ecosystem.

Innovation to remain in focus

During the pandemic, several innovations, which were practised at a small scale, became mainstream. The sudden rise in digital payment, online meetings, tele-medicines, etc., are examples of how people are lapping up new technological tools.
Governments and private players understood the significance of spending on Research and Development (R&D). Even economists are advocating for more spending on R&D and are convinced that it would lead to efficient and sustainable economic growth. Same is true for local governments. They may not have resources to spend on large scale R&D projects, but they must have provisions for allocating some funds to adopt innovation to deal with urban issues. The recovery phase has begun, and the government has started giving funds to bring back industrial sectors on track. It will be interesting to see how the nations and cities will utilize the funds that aid climate solutions and revive economic activities.
The International Energy Agency recently called solar power “the cheapest electricity in history”. It projected that India would build 86 per cent less new coal power capacity than it thought just one year ago. Today, business as usual no longer means a fivefold increase of coal use this century, as was once expected. It means pretty rapid decarbonization, at least by the standards of history, in which hardly any has ever taken place before.
There are some initiatives in countries where they are focusing on building resilient and sustainable communities. These initiatives are not limited to creating green infra and using renewable energy sources. Many cities have rewritten their urban plans to suit the requirements of the day.
In the first month of 2021, America will also witness the change of power. President-elect Joe Biden’s recent election victory has given optimism to environmentalists that the USA will also join global efforts to mitigate climate change’s negative impacts and contribute to the Paris Climate Accord.

The city of Paris also brings hopes as the city’s mayor has declared that she would transform Paris into a green city by the 2024 Summer Olympics. Her idea for a green city is a city where everyone can breathe fresh air, share an open space and enjoy our lives. The city has decided to give more space to pedestrians and bicycles. Her vision statement talks about this in detail. For instance, the Seine’s banks—urban highways in the heart of Paris—have been converted into promenades. On Sundays, entire neighbourhoods turn into pedestrian zones. And 620 miles of bike lanes will be completed by the end of this year. Wherever possible, in streets, squares and playgrounds, the city is removing asphalt to give space back to nature. Soon, the Eiffel Tower will sit in the middle of a large park. With tree-planting programs, real urban forests will act as the lungs for neighbourhoods across the city. This is a good start, and I am sure many cities would follow the French capital is example. I am quite optimistic that the new wave of hope and aspirations that 2021 has brought will encourage us to plan for a brighter, safer and sustainable urban future.