Smart Cities in India: Linkages with Circular Economy

Abstract

The Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 proposed 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in which the SDG 11 promotes inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and human settlements; SDG 7 encourages efforts to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all and SDG 12 ensures sustainable consumption and production patterns. For achieving these goals, various models have been experimented amongst which Circular Economy (CE) is one of the economic models facilitating key policy objectives for generating economic growth and reducing environmental impacts. In economies, cities are focal points of strengthening the transition of linear to a circular economy by smart practices towards a regenerative system. By consuming the assets at their highest utility, there will be an increase in economic resilience of the city and its citizens. The Smart Cities (SCs) and Smart Cities Mission (SCM) of India, Make in India, Digital India, and the Swachh Bharat Mission has potential to integrate CE principles in a pronounced way to pave the way towards a circular transition. To fulfill the SCs objectives, Indian cities have been integrating smart practices (like waste management, e-governance, and smart mobility) with circularity. For the challenges faced by the cities from the design until the implementation phase, circular economy calls for a refit in resource management. These would require policy-level reforms, institutional capacity building, uplifting infrastructure, and financing mechanisms. In India, there is already an existing repair and refurbish culture with strong local traditions integrating the 6Rs. The paper reviews the role of CE in Indian SCM for achieving SDGs by finding opportunities for circular economy and providing recommendations based on them. A matrix has been developed between the ReSOLVE framework and the opportunities of CE in cities. The SCM has increased the pace of transition, yet the recommendations are given to implement the CE principles efficiently.