Energy Efficiency in the Time of Covid-19: Action on transport urban infrastructure and impacts to support social and economic recovery in India

Around the world, the Covid-19 crisis is driving policymakers to grapple with a public health emergency while simultaneously devising social and economic relief and recovery strategies. It is clear that governments have a strong role in stimulating economies in the near-term and over the next 1-2 years of economic recovery.

This webinar focuses on action on urban infrastructure in India in response to Covid-19. This is the third webinar in a series to address this topic in emerging economies around the world.

Many cities are taking advantage of lower levels of urban transport due to the Covid-19 crisis to upgrade and construct cycling and walking infrastructure as well as invest in electric charging infrastructure. Globally, if cycling or walking replaced all car trips that would take less than ten minutes to cycle then there would be a 7% reduction in CO2 emissions from passenger cars. 

The webinar explores the impacts of Covid-19 on urban transport behaviour in India and considers current and future, planned, actions. These actions relate to electric vehicle charging infrastructure roll outs; public transport measures including the use of electric vehicles and how social distancing and modal shift is resulting in new walk and cycle infrastructure. Coverage of schemes includes, where possible, levels of investment and infrastructure km built. The discussion addresses steps to ensure successful implementation, including engagement with stakeholders. It looks at ways to understand and quantify impacts including data collection needs and approaches.

Municipal and local governments are often responsible for local infrastructure and thus can be key drivers of efficiency action which has impacts at the national level, particularly in the context of economic stimulus and air quality objectives. The webinar serves to exchange experience and ideas and to collectively identify strategies and opportunities to leverage energy efficiency as a critical tool in economic relief and recovery.

The webinar begins with welcome from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, followed by perspectives from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), Hyderabad Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (HUMTA) and Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). 

• Dr. Alison Pridmore, Transport Policy Analyst. International Energy Agency
• Mr. Sharif Qamar, Area Convenor, Center for Sustainable Mobility, TERI
• Ms. Vijaya Lakshmi, MD, Hyderabad Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority 
• Mr. Mangesh Dighe, Environment Officer, Pune Municipal Corporation