National Mission on Sustainable Habitat (NMSH)

According to the Ministry of Urban Development’s document on the NMSH the building sector’s energy consumption rose from a low 14 per cent in the 1970s to about a third of the total national energy consumption in 2004-2005. Of the 33 per cent that the building sector consumed 13.3 per cent was contributed by the residential sector (Ministry of Urban Development, 2015). By 2013 the building sector was consuming nearly 40 per cent of the national electricity consumption (Centre for Science and Environment, 2014).

In the residential and commercial sector space heating/cooling, water heaters and lighting appliances were the major consumers of energy. Mandatory compliance to ECBC has a saving potential of almost 1.7 billion units annually (Ministry of Urban Development 2015).

As the name suggests it is a national mission.

The NMSH does not give any mandatory minimum energy performance standards. It only provides voluntary design guidelines for building systems.

The sub-committee for the development of National Sustainable Habitat parameters for energy efficiency in residential and commercial buildings released a report in May 2011 with model energy efficiency guidelines for the integration into building bye-laws. Urban local bodies create these energy efficient building bye-laws. They cover lighting systems, mechanical HVAC systems, building electrical systems, building renewable energy, low flow plumbing and building envelope (Sub-Committee for development of National Sustainable Habitat parameters for energy efficiency in Residential and Commercial Buildings 2011). For all of the systems the guidelines refer to the NBC or the ECBC. For example the guidelines state that the HVAC equipment shall meet the prescribed efficiencies in the ECBC. Similarly it states that LPD levels in buildings shall not exceed those given in the ECBC. However, these guidelines also address low-flow plumbing fixtures and renewable energy integration, both of which are not part of the ECBC. For low-flow plumbing it refers to the ‘Green Plumbing Code of India’. For renewable energy integration it states that, for example, 15% of lighting load group housings and multi-storey housings shall be met through renewable energy. Commercial, industrial, institutional and mixed use buildings shall meet 5% of their lighting load through renewable energy.

The guidelines also specify external wall, roof assembly and window specifications in terms of their U-values for different climates. Apart from this it also gives window shading design guidelines according to latitude by considering the horizontal and vertical sun angles.

Relevant target groups

• Architect Architects bear the responsibility of designing building envelope in compliance with the guidelines stated in the sub-committee’s report.
• Construction company Using recommended materials and ensuring quality of materials and construction fall under the purview of construction companies. Construction has to meet the owner’s request, the architect’s design concepts and the energy efficiency guidelines at the same time. Construction companies must also develop construction technologies that augment low energy building construction.
• Installation contractor Building systems installation and performance must comply with the various codes that the Mission refers to, like ECBC, and other Indian and international codes and standards.
• Property development company Awareness about the Mission’s objective and guidelines amongst property development companies is as important as hiring relevant expertise and meeting budget requirements for low energy building construction. Demonstration of best practices with maximum energy efficiency is a key factor in the NMSH’s energy efficiency objectives.
• Recycler Development of national standards in collaboration with the Bureau of Indian Standards for recycling construction waste is one of the objectives of the NMSH.
• Investor The NMSH seeks to create awareness amongst investors by recommending outreach programs at the national level focussing on environmental and economic benefits from energy efficient building measures.
• Investor-occupier The NMSH seeks to create awareness amongst investors-occupiers.
• Tenant The NMSH create awareness amongst tenants by recommending outreach programs focussing on environmental and economic benefits.
• User One of the NMSH’s energy efficiency objectives is to develop and disseminate national level outreach programs for consumers about green buildings and their energy efficiency benefits. This will play a vital role in creating awareness about the green buildings and their demand.
• Building permission authorities Implementation of energy efficient construction guidelines and their promotion through financial incentives are implemented through the local urban bodies and municipalities under the Mission.
• Governmental actor The NMSH seeks to augment the development of national standards for green building construction, by developing model bye-laws. The NMSH sub-committee has drawn up such model bye-laws to provide guidance to governmental actors to integrate energy efficiency measures in the actual laws. Governments and municipal bodies are key actors in these processes. Providing incentives and rebates to efficient constructions also involves government bodies.
• Research institution and university The Mission also seeks to provide funding for R&D on higher efficiency green building products.

Direct beneficiaries

• User

  Users can benefit from lower operating costs of energy efficient buildings.

• Property development company

  Implementation and promotion strategies for green construction involve tax rebates to highly energy efficient constructions. Developers can also benefit from lower operating costs of such projects in some cases. The Mission also seeks to recognize high efficiency constructions through awards and demonstration of best practices.

• Energy consultant

  The Mission lays emphasis on the certification of energy auditors and their augmentation.

• Research institution and university

  Under the Mission research institutions can obtain funding for carrying out R&D on energy efficient green products.

Indirect beneficiaries

• System supplier

  Suppliers of building systems compliant with energy efficiency codes and standards stand to benefit from a higher demand of such systems in the market.

• Investor

  Higher demand for energy efficient projects as a result of the governmental programs can directly benefit investors in such projects due to higher property valuations.

• Investor-occupier

  Occupiers can benefit from lower operating costs of energy efficient buildings.

• Tenant

  Tenants can benefit from lower operating costs of energy efficient buildings.

• Manufacturer

  Manufacturers of green products could benefit from an increased demand of such materials due to policy push.

• Energy Service Company

  In some business models building system operation and maintenance may be outsourced to energy service companies (ESCOs). With increased demand for energy efficiency in building systems, in such models ESCOs will benefit indirectly.

• Engineering consultant

  Engineers and other professionals directly dealing in energy efficient construction of buildings and design of building systems are increasingly addressed by capacity building programs.

Relevant barriers

• Technical barriers: Lack of technical expertise with the implementing agencies of the Mission, like the municipalities, pose a hindrance to timely deployment of the Mission’s recommendations and guidelines. Energy professionals also lack the requisite tools and training to perform energy calculations required to achieve and evaluate energy efficient designs.
• Knowledge and information barriers: Lack of awareness among consumers and professionals about green buildings and their benefits present the biggest barrier to their market growth. The NMSH seeks to eliminate this by developing outreach programs for consumers, professionals as well as students.
• Organisational barriers: A lack of coordination between different organizations can lead to delays and disagreements. The National Mission on Sustainable Habitat takes into its purview development and promotion, as well as monitoring of energy efficiency guidelines in the building sector. These functions involve numerous governmental institutions and research organisations, like the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), the central Public Works Department (CPWD), the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO) etc.

Relevant incentives

• Saved energy costs: Projects compliant with the energy efficiency guidelines can lead to savings in operating costs for either the occupiers or the development companies, according to the adopted business model.
• Contribution to protection of the environment: Lowering energy consumption in buildings contributes towards the national goal of decreasing emissions intensity. Promoting recycling of construction waste also directly protects the environment.

The National Mission on Sustainable Habitat (NMSH) is one of the eight national missions released in 2008 under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). Each of these missions seeks to exploit the climate change mitigation potential in various sectors. Some other national missions under the NAPCC are: National Solar Mission, National Water Mission and National Mission in Energy Efficiency.

The NMSH itself is also a policy package, which consists of energy efficiency promotion in commercial and residential sector buildings; solid waste management, wastewater and water management; and urban transport and urban planning.

The mission plays an advisory role for the development of energy efficiency codes and standards and harmonizing them to set minimum performance standards for buildings. Pilot projects on energy efficient buildings, raising awareness on benefits of energy efficiency in buildings would be complimentary actions.
For planning the urban landscape holistically and in an efficient manner capacity building measures are carried out. Capacity building and outreach to create awareness about green buildings and its benefits, support R&D for this sector and incentivize adoption are hence, important objectives.

For all these elements the MoUD is the nodal ministry. It is charged with implementing the Mission objectives with support from local bodies and governments. The Inter-Ministerial Group approves and sanctions projects that aim to meet the objectives of this Mission. It takes into the aegis of its recommendations all the relevant ministries, like the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Ministry of Transport (MoT), Ministry of Petroleum, Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR)etc.

The Mission can be seen as an opportunity to streamline all the various policies of the government pushing sustainability in habitats. This is the innovative element of this mission.

It has been recommended that to most effectively implement the Mission the strategies must move from the sector-level to individual city level and further, to the ward level. This involves planning at the ward level keeping in view the overall objectives of the Mission. This will need extensive support from individual state governments and local bodies.

Furthermore, instead of introducing fresh guidelines under the Mission existing guidelines can be modified and overlapping policies can be converged. This, along with a decentralization of activities is highly desirable. 

Also quantified impacts of the Mission’s impact and progress in its objectives needs to be done on a regular basis more accurately, and be made readily available to key stakeholders.

The following pre-conditions are necessary to implement NMSH:

Agencies or other actors responsible for implementation
The Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) is the nodal ministry for the Mission’s implementation. 

The inter-ministerial group (IMG) sets policies for implementation and monitors and reviews progress of the Mission. It also sanctions projects based on proposals and recommendations submitted to it by the Mission Implementation and Monitoring Group, which itself is supported by various organizations like the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Urban Transport Division of the MoUD, Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organization (CPHEEO) etc.

Further, the State Level Apex Coordination Committee coordinates the Mission’s activities at individual state level, supported by nodal agencies. 

Funding
The funding for implementation is provided through the MoUD. The Mission had a planned budget of roughly INR 542 billion over an approximately eight year period between 2009 and 2017. 

According to the Indian 12th Plan (period between 2012 and 2017) the budget was estimated to be INR 9.5 billion for this period (IFMR Lead: Centre for Development Finance , 2015).

The Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) approves projects and activities to reach the Mission’s objectives based on the proposals and recommendations by the Mission Implementation and Monitoring Group (MIMG), supported by various other organizations, like the BEE, the CPHEEO and other research institutions. The IMG has senior level representation from relevant ministries like the MoEF, MoT, MoWR etc. Approved projects may then be handed over to the relevant ministry, which are implement by the government agencies. For example ECBC related activities of development and outreach may be implemented by the Ministry of Power through the BEE. 

Implementation of the Mission’s projects and their progress is monitored at individual State level by the State Level Apex Bodies.

Quantified target
The NMSH does not have a quantified target.

Monitoring
A Mission Implementation and Monitoring Group (Government actor) exists for monitoring activities. The Program Monitoring and Evaluation System is a web-enables system which records progress on the Mission.

Dynamic market transformation and or innovation
The Mission seeks to provide funding to R&D activities for green products and materials. Through development and implementation of energy efficiency guidelines and outreach for the same it seeks to create a healthy market for energy efficient buildings.

Minimising snap-back effects
The Mission lays emphasis on more robust methods of creating awareness in all of society’s circles about sustainable practices and their benefits, like capacity building, educating stakeholders, modifying curriculums in Universities to include green building practices. This approach aims to minimize snap-back effects.

Creating spill-over effects
The Mission targets a wide spectrum of activities to increase the sustainability of habitats, like development of national codes and standards and facilitating their implementation, supporting R&D in research institutions, training and outreach for professionals, building owners and students. Hence, the Mission aims at expanding awareness, and thus, expanding demand for sustainable infrastructure. If implemented efficiently the Mission will be able to procreate a domino effect which will take these programs to all states and major urban centres, and be responsible for creating similar actions with little further affirmative action.

Design for sustainability aspects
The Mission aims to improve sustainability of habitats by promoting sustainability in buildings, water management, waste management, and urban transport and planning.

The following barriers have been experienced during the implementation of the policy:

1. Technical: A lack of expertise amongst the implementing bodies result in a slower process of development of energy efficiency standards and guidelines.
2. Organizational: Since the Mission takes into its ambit a wide range of activities, organizational procedures and lack of coordination present a hurdle to brisk implementation