There are great expectations for ICT as an enabling technology in the domain of sustainable development: to increase energy efficiency in production processes, to make buildings, road transport and logistics processes more efficient, and as a result, reduce the carbon footprint of economic activity. This study is aimed at exploring potential GHG reduction opportunities through adoption of Information & Communication Technology (ICT) solutions in the focus sectors of the three mitigation related missions of India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)1, namely National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE), National Mission on Sustainable Habitat (NMSH) and National Solar Mission (NSM). The findings not only improve our understanding of the role ICT can play in increasing energy efficiency and reducing GHG emissions but also make a business case for reducing GHGs.
The focus of the Enhanced Energy Efficiency Mission and Sustainable Habitat Mission is to reduce energy consumption or to improve energy efficiency, whereas the Solar Mission focuses primarily on increasing the generation of solar energy in the country. With this distinction in mind, the study quantifies the energy savings potential through the use of currently available ICT solutions and their contribution in reducing GHG
emissions, as follows:
. The energy savings potential, along with the associated costs of the identified ICT solutions, have been determined for each focus sector and a cost-benefit analysis of implementing such solutions has been conducted, identifying the barriers related to the adoption of these ICT solutions.