17. Getting a Grip on Green – Indian Cities and the Promise of Sustainability, Resilience, Inclusion

Gates defines the green premium as the difference in cost between a product that involves emitting carbon and an alternative that doesn’t.

The term ‘animal spirits’ was famously used by John Maynard Keynes to signify action that is guided by “spontaneous optimism”. It has been evoked more recently in statements given by Indian politicians. The term was used by an investment portfolio manager quoted in an article (https://​economictimes.​indiatimes.​com/​markets/​stocks/​news/​nirmala-sitharaman-new-fm-d-street-says-she-must-revive-indias-animal-spirits/​articleshow/​69594878.​cms?​from=​mdr), published immediately after India’s new Finance Minister was appointed in 2019. Also see: https://​swarajyamag.​com/​economics/​the-2020s-a-new-decade-full-of-animal-spirits-lies-ahead-for-india.

The International Labour Organization defines ‘Just Transitions’ as “greening the economy in a way that is as fair and inclusive as possible to everyone concerned, creating decent work opportunities and leaving no one behind.” Refer https://​www.​ilo.​org/​global/​topics/​green-jobs/​WCMS_​824102/​lang%2D%2Den/​index.​htm for more on the subject. (Accessed on 27 Nov at 10.42am IST).

For a short but insightful discussion of the concept of “precarious labour”, see Jan Bremen’s book review in the New Left Review of Guy Standing, The Precariat: The New Dangerous Class, Bloomsbury Academic: London 2011.

The concept of the city as a metabolic entity has a history that goes back at least to the late 19th century and has strong links with the thinking of the botanist Patrick Geddes, who, incidentally, was also invited by a number of states in India ruled by native princes to prepare their city plans. The most extensive exercise he undertook in India was for the Peshwa ruler of Indore, now the economic powerhouse of the modern state of Madhya Pradesh. For more details, refer the excellent Wiki on the subject: https://​en.​wikipedia.​org/​wiki/​Urban_​metabolism.

The definition of inclusion in the report is an educative reference: “In this report, inclusiveness is broadly considered in terms of (1) ability and opportunity and (2) outcomes. Inclusion is defined as the ability and opportunity of all who reside in a city to fully participate in markets, services, and spaces (including political, physical, cultural, and social), thereby enabling them to lead their lives with dignity (World Bank 2013). Consistent with that definition, this report variously discusses how cities differ globally in the access they provide to basic urban services, financial services, digital technologies, and labor market opportunities. It also shines a spotlight on multidimensional exclusion and touches on issues of voice”.

The essential functions include the following: urban planning; regulation of land-use and buildings; economic and social planning; roads and bridges; water supply; public health and solid waste management; fire services; urban forestry and protection of the environment and ecology; social welfare; slums upgradation; poverty alleviation; urban amenities and facilities; culture and education; burial and cremation; animal welfare; statistics.