The Okhla case: underlining the need for dialogue and transparency in sustainable development.

Despite apparent adherence to established environmental regulations, the government of Delhi is now faced with an angry community and the threat of delays and looming costs involved in possible relocation of the waste-to-energy plant it had planned to open in July 2011 in Okhla, South Delhi.

The Municipal Cooperation of Delhi (MCD) has entered a public-private partnership with Jindal ITF Ecopolis to build the 200 crore Okhla project, which should convert 1950 tones of solid waste to 16MW of energy per day. Although it is claimed that all precautions to prevent environmental or health hazards have been taken, citizens are strongly objecting the creation of the plant due to expected “poisoning of their living environment”.

For the MCD, the project is a part of the solution to two of Delhi’s most pressing problems: power shortage and waste management.  A representative of the MCD has stated that the project will meet all “statutory obligations”. It will be the first commercial Waste-to-energy plant in New Delhi and the largest of its kind in Asia.

Residents’ opposition to the project, stems mostly from concerns about the air quality of their environment. In a letter to union environment minister Jairam Ramesh, they state that “While there is overwhelming evidence that plants of these types produce toxic gases, residues and respirable particles, the Okhla plant is being set up barely 150m from the nearest established residences”. This claim is rooted in the knowledge gathered that similar plants have not worked as planned due to the composition of waste. According to a resident, in order for the waste to generate enough heat, “elements like plastic will have to be added.” Also, concerns have risen over the amounts of waste that need to be transported to the plant and related noise pollution.

According to Allard M. Nooy, CEO of the company, the technology has been proven and "the plant will be operated after complying with all conditions of the DPR (detailed project report)”. The company has won the 'Frost & Sullivan Indian Environment Industry Excellence Award 2010' and sees itself as continuing to add economic and social value to the economy. In reaction to the residents objections Nooy holds the opinion that any interactions with them to remove their apprehensions should be organised by the authorities and not the company.

In reaction to the residents’ letter, Jairam Ramesh has requested chief minister Sheila Dikshit to reconsider the plant’s location. Now, a meeting will be called with the residents in order to address their concerns. Ramesh has expressed the possibility to consider an alternative location.

To draw a lesson here about the nature of sustainable development, the most important issue is not who is right and who is wrong. Rather, it is evident that sustainable development entails more than meeting all “statutory obligations”. Governments must realise that citizens need to be actively involved in projects that will affect them. This involvement must begin at an early stage of the project planning and must be backed by the company engaging in the public-private partnership by providing transparent information about the concrete possible effects of the project in surrounding areas. Then, if the project is indeed harmless, citizens will have access to this information and need not object. Or, if concerns of the citizens are grounded, the location can be reconsidered at an earlier stage, saving both the negative publicity and the costs of moving the operation at such a late stage in the planning process.  Sustainable development is a process in which dialogue and transparency are essential elements.

Further reading and references:  Officials say plant to be operative in July, Residents up in arms, Sheila to review waste-to-energy plant at Okhla. Facebook page for resident’s campaign: Okhla ka Ghosla

Role of sustainable development in carbon offsetting

The Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) aims to help industrialized countries with emissions reduction targets to meet their targets by generating credits from the developing world, and to help developing countries achieve sustainable development goals and to reduce climate change. Sustainable development forms a core concept in exercising the CDM. However, the term sustainable development is defined rather vaguely.

If one does attempt to define sustainable development as the coming together of social, economic and environmental objectives, most projects which claim to be sustainability-focused suddenly do not seem so sustainable after all. With the lack of a definition, countries have chosen to define sustainability as per their convenience especially considering the conflict of interest they face regarding attracting investment versus sustainable development choices. Many standards are available in the current market to assess sustainable development through indicators but there still continues to be a considerable backlash from academia stating that most CDM projects have not lived up to their commitment of sustainable development as promised.

However, carbon offsetting plays a small part in promoting sustainable development by setting it as a criterion. It advances efficient energy use and moving to better alternatives. Unfortunately, that makes for a very thin silver lining to the cloud and increased standardization is required for fulfill the condition of sustainable development in a more wholesome manner.

Other related reads: CDM Gold Standard, Can standards for voluntary carbon offsets ensure development benefits?

Why India needs to compost

Composting runs in the roots of India. Modern composting as we know it got was born in India. Composting also features as a legal requirement provided under the Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSW) Rules 2000 for all municipal bodies in the country. However, government bodies have not adequately responded to this necessity.

While sustainable waste management should be viewed as a cyclical process, our governments continue to view it in a linear fashion creating multiple externalities and paving our way towards a waste crisis. This has also led to the birth of many entrepreneurs who are providing alternate waste solutions for a greater efficient waste management system. While eco-conscious citizens across urban India have been composting at home using appliances manufactured by these private ventures, rural India is doing its bit by using bio-digesters and similar technology. In this case, the biogas realized is used as an energy source for light and gas.

Improper waste handling has resulted in loss of lives and environmental degradation. Though there are multiple ways to dispose waste, composting by far is the most economical and environment friendly. For city dwellers, there are many companies like the Daily dump that offer waste management systems that you can install in your home. The outcome is organic manure which can be sold to nurseries and gardens and an ecological life.

Other related links: compost, how to compost, compost guide

How carbon finance is making a difference - reaching out to community based renewable energy projects.

Biogas from cow dung, Kolar.
Source: atmosfair.de

In current debates on the transformation to a low carbon economy, sustainability is so strongly associated with renewable energy that the social and economic aspects of genuine sustainable development are drowned out. This is reflected in the nature of carbon offsetting projects that have highly stringent regulations to ensure high standard implementation of renewables. Social and economic impact is treated as an occupational hazard, tested superficially, if at all, in order to get the paperwork through.

There is much controversy questioning the ethics of offsetting with the common argument that it is reinforcing business-as-usual energy use in western countries and obstructing real change. Further controversies involve incidents of forced relocation of local residents as land for renewable energy projects is required and carbon funding used to implement energy efficiency regulations in what remain highly polluting new energy plants.
The critique of carbon offsetting is not without reason, but there is a need to also highlight efforts of organizations within the sector that aim to guide carbon funding in the direction of people working on projects that are making a difference in people’s daily lives, driven by a holistic and encompassing view of sustainability.

A good example is found in the Kolar district in Karnataka where villagers are replacing firewood and kerosene with renewable energy sources like biogas. Innovative biogas digesters made from locally available materials are being used in a project by a local NGO ADATS. Upfront funding for expected carbon credits provided by the French company Velcan made the initial investment available to implement the project, making the project feasible and creating a win-win solution for all involved. atmosfair now supports the project by buying carbon credits.

Now, atmosfair wants to magnify their impact by supporting more such initiatives. "We see a high need as well as great opportunities for sustainable energy projects inIndia, especially community-based projects. We would like to transform our current support for projects in India into a more direct involvement by extended partnering with institutions who are working on the ground,” says Robert Müller from atmosfair.

Atmosfair is taking action from their side, now what we need is people stepping up that are doing the wonderful work on the ground. If you know anyone, or you yourself are working on community based renewable energy projects in India, and are looking for additional support to make your project feasible, get in touch & apply for the atmosfair India Renewable Energy Innovation awards! Deadline is this Sunday, March 27^th! 

Why migration is fuelling inefficient urban waste management

(Source: Syncline Films, Scavenging dreams)

While most people play the role of waste generators, there are very few that really
know where the waste goes after it leaves our homes, streets, offices etc. Does
the municipal authority collect it all? Hardly. Most of this is scavenged by
waste pickers or rag pickers who collect waste which they sell to informal
traders for a few rupees. The waste pickers operate informally living close to
waste sources which are located at the fringes of the city.

Most of these individuals are migrants who come to bigger cities hoping for a better
life. They sift through piles of rubble, domestic waste, medical waste and
industrial waste. Considering the complete lack of healthcare and sanitation
surrounding this informal waste collection, not many are willing but submit to
becoming waste pickers due to their dire need of income. While repeated
attempts are being made at formally integrating waste pickers in the waste
cycle, no urban body has been successful so far. This is due to multiple
reasons. There are multiple stakeholders in every waste cycle and none want to
lose their presence in the changed scenario. Also, while the waste pickers do
their job invisibly, the government can continue to give a blind eye. Residents
are happier because they have cleaner streets. Other than token efforts, like
the provision of rubber gloves, the municipal bodies have not done much to
improve the waste pickers’ lives.

However, many waste pickers die every year. They are treated as outcasts because of
their profession. However, waste picking does not ebb as continued migration has
lead to continuous waste picking. Immediate formalization and reinvention of
the role of waste pickers is required, such that the waste management system
becomes more effective and efficient and these migrant workers find themselves
gainful and respectable employment.

Other related links: RethinkingWaste Management in India, India Together, Sanjay K Gupta 2004

Why cook stoves are changing rural women’s lives

Indians have grown up with images of squatting rural women working wood sticks in their chulhas (cook stoves) to make food for their families. This image often has a rustic feel to it and many of us dismiss it without giving it a second thought.

The cook stove is most often fueled with wood, coal or dung and generates a lot of smoke. Most of these women die every year due to indoor air pollution (IAP). As per a World Health Organization (WHO) report (2006), 1.5 million people die because of IAP annually. Though, IAP has been an old phenomenon, it did not feature in most development budgets across the world. Only in recent years, has the WHO declared IAP has one of the 10 most global health risks.

The burning of solid fuels in the cook stove generates poisonous fumes which are health-damaging and can potentially cause pneumonia among children and chronic respiratory disorders among adults. A positive trend since 1940’s has been the invention of smokeless cook stoves using different technologies to replace the traditional cook stoves. As the traditional cook stoves burn a vast amount of wood affecting climate change, in recent times, several agencies are distributing and producing improved cook stoves to village households as a movement to curb climate change. These cook stoves are not only energy efficient but have improved lives of several women and children across India. Carbon offsetting funding like what atmosfair provides in Lesotho for their efficient wood stove project can be used to reach out to more lives. For more information on different cookstove projects, visit Partnership on Clean Indoor Air.

Other related links: Better burning, better breathing: Improving health with cleaner cook stoves, Environmental Health Perspectives Vol: 18 Issue: 3 pp: A124-A129

What is carbon offsetting anyway?

The average cheeseburger requires about 6.8 pounds of carbon dioxide to produce. This includes raising, slaughtering, transporting, storing, and cooking the food. Surprising, isn’t it?

If we consider all our daily activities and calculate our carbon footprint, we will realize that we do little about global warming other than contributing to it. If you are an active member against climate change which means that you are using green energy and reducing emissions, then carbon offsetting is the next thing that you should do.

Carbon offsetting is a method of countering damage done through the release of carbon emissions from activities such as driving a car, flying or heating a building. For every tonne of CO2 emitted in one place, an equivalent tonne is supposedly removed elsewhere. While it does not undo the harm to the environment, it does become an efficient way to offset future emissions. But we should remind ourselves, offsets are not an excuse for people to continue current emissions.

While it is very difficult to calculate CO2 emissions precisely for every event, one of the best ways of carbon offsetting is to offset flights. It is relatively more effective simply because of the ease of calculating the amount of CO2 released. However, even this can be a challenge and agencies are expected to comply with the strictest measuring adherences.

 Offsetting has a bright future with growing globalization. Yet, it covers only a fraction of the total CO2 emitted. More efforts to reduce emissions are still required. Every time you are going to take the car, think of taking the public bus instead. Climate Change needs your help!

Other related reads: Cheeseburger footprint, Calculate your carbon footprint

Can deployment of technology to reduce carbon in organisations make economic sense in the short term?

There have been a lot of discussions around how technology can intervene in offsetting carbon in industries in India. We chanced upon this wonderful report prepared by the Digital Energy Solutions Consortium India (DESC India) and CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development, titled, ICT’s Contribution to India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change in Dec 2010. 

In June 2008, the Prime Minister had released the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), outlining the nation’s strategy to manage greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
India has since then, announced a goal of reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 20-25% by the year 2020 compared to 2005. The Planning Commission is also in the process of defining a low-carbon growth map for the country. The DESC Report explores potential GHG reduction opportunities via ICT (Information & Communication Technology) solutions in the focus sectors of the three mitigation-related missions of NAPCC – National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE), National Mission on Sustainable Habitat (NMSH) and National Solar Mission (NSM).

Just the electricity saved by ICT adoption in the power sector can help electrify more than 14,000 villages with an average population of 2,000-3,000. Implementation of ICT measures in the paper sector in 2030 can reduce emissions by an amount equivalent to that sequestered by 3 million trees. Savings achieved via video-conferencing and tele-commuting with moderate ICT penetration can offset GHG emissions more than 70 times the current GHG emissions due to the annual air traffic between Delhi and Mumbai.


Carbon offset while also saving money for travel seems to be a logical way for organizations to offset carbon. Atmosfair has helped companies like Elektrolux and DHL in Germany to reduce their carbon through simple ICT implementation and consulting in their travel systems. The impact of the same in organizations that are more people intensive in India can be huge.

Becoming carbon neutral for companies in India is not just an interesting brand positioning to have. It also makes immense economic sense. The total cost of ICT usage in NMEEE mission sectors – considering moderate penetration of ICT solutions in 2020 and 2030 – is estimated at INR 49,700 crore and INR156,100 crore. These investments correspond to cost savings of around INR 7,300 crore p.a. and INR 29,200 crore p.a. respectively. Similarly, ICT technologies in Transport, Buildings and Solid Waste Management sectors can lead to cost savings of INR 26,300 crore in 2020 under the moderate scenario. This is approximately 0.5% of India’s GDP in financial year 2009-10!!

It’s a wonder that its even a discussion anymore.