Do India’s growth priorities rule out curbing energy use? While India defends its right to the atmosphere (in other words, its right to emit carbon gases without restraint till it attains a certain level of well-being) at climate conferences such as the ongoing Paris meet, its capital city is enveloped in a noxious smog. A look at Beijing’s air tells us that China is paying a suffocating price for its pursuit of unbalanced growth. Surely, there is a way to enhance well-being without our cities turning into Beijings or Delhis.
Apart from using clean coal and renewables for our energy needs, we need energy-efficient buildings, with banks factoring this into their lending conditions. Our fetish for energy-guzzling glass buildings is hard to understand. There is no reason why a glitzy shopping complex should pay the same price for electricity as a residential or even commercial establishment.
But if there is any area where action is urgently needed, it is in curbing private transport, cars in particular. While transport accounts for over 10 per cent of India’s greenhouse gas emissions (with thermal power making up more than 50 per cent), its share is rising more rapidly than electricity and industry. Cars are a menace — no two ways about that. India’s cities will choke to death because of them. The number of cars has exploded thanks to a rapidly deteriorating public transport system in cities such as Bengaluru. Transport services have positive externalities — they contribute hugely to the output of a city, hence the loss on the books of transport corporations is a pretty meaningless number.
A shift from private to public transport will enhance energy efficiency, reduce pollution and reduce the oil import bill. Buses should be cheap and reliable, so that commuters don’t opt for private vehicles. Luxury buses should be priced competitively with the Olas and Ubers. If this has not happened, it is because of the auto lobby. Or, should we say, the unimaginative growth lobby that hasn’t learnt from China’s mistakes?
Senior Deputy Editor