Tackling Climate Change – 36% reduction of emissions by 2025

Brief Overview of Carbon Footprint and Decarbonization Ambitions

Per Capita carbon footprint of IISc is around 4.5 tonnes of CO2 in 2020. The institute plans to deploy solar panels in available roof top areas of buildings, which is around 13,560 square meters and expected to reduce 8% of our emissions. We have plan to replace diesel with piped natural gas with an objective to reduce 21% of emissions and deploy solar panels on the ground covering 1 hectare of land in Challakere campus to reduce emissions by 7%. Thus, total reduction in CO2 emissions being planned by 2025 is 36%.

Examples of Measures Taken to Reduce Emissions, with a Particular Focus on Energy Use
(Scope 1 and 2 Emissions)

• Zero-emission transportation: Zero emission transportation for small, 4-seater EV vehicles, bikes etc. Students are encouraged to use bicycles instead of motorized vehicles. Faculty/ staff encouraged to utilize EV vehicle services for commuting within the campus.
• Replacement of old air conditioners with new energy efficient models.
• Deployment of rooftop solar panels.

Brief Outline of Future Plans and Key Areas of Focus

• Green Buildings: “GRIHA” stands for Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment. “GRIHA” guidelines attempts to minimize a building’s resource consumption, waste generation, and overall ecological impact to within certain acceptable limits/benchmarks. The upcoming infrastructure projects at IISc will follow “GRIHA” specifications (as much as possible).
• Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) will provide piped natural gas (PNG) connections to various buildings/facilities such as residences, hostels, restaurants, departments/centres, guest houses and other amenities on IISc campus. Existing DG sets will be converted to 09 make these PNG compatible. Future generators will be PNG compatible. Chillers will be madecompatible with PNG. PNG will be used for construction related activities. For example, DG sets in construction sites will be PNG compatible.

Key Challenges and Barriers Encountered

Initial investment required to deploy energy efficient systems or replace with old systems with energy efficient systems is high. Cost versus benefit of various steps taken needs to be analysed before implementation.

Key Lessons Learned / Top Tips to Share

Awareness about the consequences of climate change is important. Translating knowledge and communicating to the campus community is helpful to all to get involved in decarbonisation efforts of the institute.

How IISc Engages with Students in its Decarbonization Efforts

IISc conducts climate change awareness programs for students consisting of lectures by eminent faculty, demonstration of measurements, quiz contests and so on for the benefit of research. Students are encouraged to participate in decarbonisation efforts of the institute.

Click here for the Report and Good Practice Book about the Campus Decarbonizatoin Workshop 2021.