WSDS Thematic Track: Integrated Approach Towards Achieving Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Through Active and Passive Interventions

As India moves towards Viksit Bharat, enhancing energy efficiency and thermal comfort is crucial, particularly with cooling demand expected to increase eightfold by 2037-38 (ICAP). Addressing rising temperatures, growing energy needs, and rapid urbanization requires an integrated approach that blends traditional wisdom with modern innovations to create sustainable and low-energy solutions.

The integration of Passive and Active—including climate-responsive strategies such as real-time shading systems, hybrid ventilation, and thermally adaptive materials—offers scalable, cost-effective alternatives while enhancing sustainability and energy efficiency. A holistic approach, integrating strategies, technologies, and finance, is essential for equitable and climate-resilient future. Strengthening cross-sectoral partnerships will be key to transforming India's built environment into a global model for sustainable thermal comfort and energy efficiency.

India's rising cooling demand, exacerbated by urban heat island effects and climate change, poses significant challenges to energy security, public health, and environmental sustainability. While passive strategies offer energy-efficient solutions, their impact remains limited without integration with active interventions. The broad adoption of sustainable interventions in buildings to achieve thermal comfort is hindered by financial constraints, technological barriers, and ineffective policy implementation. A holistic, synergistic approach—combining policy support, industry innovation, and research—is essential to mainstreaming climate-responsive, energy-efficient strategies and ensuring sustainable thermal comfort in India's built environment.

India has made notable progress in energy-efficient cooling through initiatives like the Energy Conservation and Sustainable Building Code (ECSBC), Eco-Niwas Samitha (ENS), the National Mission on Sustainable Habitat, and the India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP). Despite this progress, challenges remain in achieving large-scale implementation, high upfront costs of advanced energy-efficient technologies, limited awareness and expertise in passive cooling/heating solutions, inadequate integration of renewable energy systems, and fragmented cross-sectoral collaboration for policy and market adoption. Overcoming these barriers will require strengthening partnerships among government agencies, industry stakeholders, and research institutions to foster innovation and ensure the successful deployment of integrated passive solutions that enhance energy efficiency and thermal comfort in the building sector.

The key objective of orchestrating this session at WSDS 2025 is to foster the role of integrated active and passive interventions to achieve energy efficiency and thermal comfort through cost-effective, climate-responsive solutions. It promotes integrating traditional and modern passive design strategies, optimizing cooling through sky modeling, and scaling up low-cost, energy-efficient technologies. The objectives include raising awareness of energy-efficient interventions, integrating passive solutions, supporting renewable energy, addressing barriers to large-scale implementation, and enhancing cross-sectoral collaborations. The track also aims to advance market adoption, technological advancements, and climate-resilient infrastructure planning to mitigate urban heat island effects and rising cooling demands.

Key Takeaways from the Session

• How can India mainstream low-cost, climate-responsive cooling solutions to ensure accessibility across socio-economic groups?
• What role does sky modelling play in enhancing energy efficiency and thermal comfort in buildings?
• How can passive and active strategies be integrated with renewable energy systems to minimize carbon footprints?
• What innovative financing models (e.g., carbon credits, cooling-as-a-service, green bonds) can accelerate the deployment of energy efficient technologies?
• How can AI, IoT, and smart building technologies optimize cooling efficiency while reducing energy consumption?