Page 67 - IJES Special Issues for AIEC2016

International Journal of Environment and Sustainability, 2016, 5(1): 56-63 57
ability of energy from sources that are afford-
able, accessible and environmentally friendly
(Ram & Selvaraj, 2013). The global demand for
energy is rising fast as the population increases,
and developing countries such as China and
India are undergoing dramatic economic
growth. It is estimated that the world’s energy
needs will be 50% higher in 2030 than they are
today (ElBaradei, 2008).
Currently, 31% of India’s population lives in
cities. These cities also generate 63% of the
nation’s economic activity. These numbers are
rapidly increasing with almost half of India’s
population projected to live in its cities by 2030. capable of making decisions and taking appro-
Smart cities focus on the most pressing needs
and on the greatest opportunities to improve
quality of life for residents today and in the
future (Ministry of Urban Development, 2015).
The concept of a “smart city” refers to “modern
urban competitiveness that highlights the
growing importance of social and environ-
mental capital in profiling the attractiveness of a four major economies of the world by the year
city”. This process entails the development and
use of various technologies, such as information
and communication technologies (ICT), which
enable increasingly efficient use and consump-
tion of energy. The establishment of communi-
cation activities and raising awareness are key
components of all smart city projects, even in
cases where the main focus is on the techno-
logical aspects. Communities have always been
driven by such patterns. Smart technology is
increasingly developed and applied, and cities
are becoming increasingly responsive to their
populations. However, this process is not
automatic. To become smart, a city must learn
to direct its inhabitants towards a more healthy,
productive and sustainable lifestyle (European
Commision, 2014).
Adolescence is best understood as a period of
transition from the dependence of childhood to
adulthood’s independence and awareness of
our interdependence as members of a commu-
nity. Adolescents are the main stakeholders,
future policy makers and a major resource
group, and they play an important role in taking
up responsibilities, revolutionizing other stake-
holders and acting as a catalyst for bringing
about change. These future leaders have
immense potential to mobilize the masses, be
adaptable and link education and action in
addition to being responsible consumers
(Centre for Environment Education [CEE],
2005).
Education for sustainable development is a
dynamic concept that utilizes all aspects of
public awareness, education, training and
capacity building to create or enhance an under-
standing of the linkages among the issues of
sustainable development (CEE, 2005). For
building momentum towards the energy
management movement, it is thus imperative to
build the capacity of the masses so that they are
priate steps towards the implementation of
suitable energy efficiency measures. According
to the Population Council in India, (2012),
“India is a young nation with 30% of the
country’s population being adolescents”. Such a
high proportion of young people could work in
India's favor in terms of emerging as one of the
2020. Their energy and enthusiasm must be
guided into productive work. Their ideas and
innovations should be tapped for the
betterment of the society (President of India
Forum, 2010). Building capacity of adolescents
may help to reach the next four generations
with the message to conserve and protect
nature. Thus, towards this end present research
has been undertaken.
2. Objectives
- To scan the inclusion of information on energy
management offered in school and college
curriculum
- To assess the knowledge and skills of adoles-
cents towards energy management
- To develop a validated capacity building pro-
gram towards energy management for
adolescents
3. Methodology
The sample constitutes students from private
school, government and students from colleges
of selected universities in Delhi. Delhi is a
Science Target Inc. www.sciencetarget.com