TERI - The Energy and Resources Institute [UPSC Notes]

With the increasing events of extreme weather indicating climate change and global warming, there has been an urgent need for institutes to develop sustainable ways of living. TERI was recently in the news as they announced the dates of the 21st Edition of the World Sustainable Development Summit. The Summit will commence virtually from 16th to 18th Feb 2022. Earlier, the Summit was known as Delhi Sustainable Development Summit.

TERI is working towards finding solutions for the current environmental events. Thus, it is essential to understand the institute while preparing for the UPSC exam. This article provides information on TERI, its initiatives, and future research.

The Institutes and committees in India that work for the development of the country constitute an integral part of the IAS Syllabus. Candidates must refer to the details discussed further below and prepare for UPSC CSE.

What is the full form of TERI, and what does it do?

TERI stands for The Energy and Resource Institute. It is an independent institute that works on research and development of products and processes that specialize in the environment, energy, and sustainable development. Established in 1974, TERI was earlier known as Tata Energy Research Institute and was later changed to TERI in 2003.

Recently, TERI and Shell released a report titled “India: Transforming to a Net-Zero Emissions Energy System.” The report provides a pathway to steer towards the goal of Zero Emission by 2050. Some of the key points highlighted in the Shell and TERI report include

• Increased use of renewable resources. The target is to increase the use of renewable resources to 90%.
• Development of innovation-driven policies for deploying clean technologies at a large scale.
• Phasing out of coal-fired power plants and complete removal by 2050.
• Development and use of biofuels.
• Using electric vehicles for transport.

As per the UNFCCC COP26, India has claimed to achieve net-zero emissions latest by 2070, which was initially being targetted to be achieved by 2050.

Important Initiatives by TERI

With the aim of developing clean technologies includes

• Lighting a Billion Lives (LaBL): Many villages in our country still struggle to use basic amenities. This initiative by TERI aims to provide sustainable energy to all people. TERI aims to replace kerosene-based lighting with a cleaner and more efficient technology like solar lighting devices. TERI committed to this initiative in the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting held in 2007. Under this initiative, several solar charging stations were placed in remote places. The station consists of 5 solar panels, 50 solar lanterns, and 5 junction boxes. The solar lantern provides 200-250 lumens of light for 4-6 hours every day.
• Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA): This initiative from TERI was developed by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. GRIHA is a national rating tool. Builders use the tool for rating their buildings for sustainability. Several buildings like the Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation in Andhra Pradesh, Nalanda University Campus in Bihar and the IIM Kozhikode Campus in Kerala have received 5 stars GRIHA rating. The ratings are based on predefined parameters that include sustainable generating resources like energy, water, and waste.
• GREEN Olympiad: Green Olympiad is an annual examination by TERI. The GREEN olympiad inspires and raises awareness among children and youth to instill sustainable living. The Olympiad has been organized since 1999 with the concept of “catching them young.” The Olympiad is for students from Grade 4 to 12 from various schools in India and abroad. In 2021, the focus was on green skills, the environment, and sustainable development.

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Future Initiatives and Projects by TERI

• TERI aims to address current issues of climate change that pose a danger to all living forms on our planet. Several initiatives and projects aim for a commitment from institutions to achieve sustainability at all levels. Some critical initiatives and projects are listed below:
• TERI has recently signed an MoU with SAP India for supporting and achieving sustainability in all aspects of government, societies, and industries.
• The DBT-TERI Center of Excellence in Advanced Biofuels and Bio commodities is an initiative of TERI. It has partnered with the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, IIT Guwahati, and Transtech Greenergy. They together aim to develop biofuels from marine algae and non-food feedstock.
• SHEETAL: The initiative is an Alliance for Sustainable Habitat, Energy Efficiency, and Thermal Comfort for All. Under this initiative, TERI aims to control the cooling demand of India by using efficient and sustainable ways based on low-GWP (low global warming potential) refrigerants and phase-down of HFC (Hydrofluorocarbon) emitting refrigerants.

Together with many partners and collaborations, TERI is moving ahead with the mission of reducing environmental harm and enhancing sustainable ways of living.

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