Procurement of low carbon municipal solid waste infrastructure in India through public-private partnerships

The Low carbon (LC) agenda has captured interest across governments and research communities. But such focus is not addressed so far in the operation of municipal solid waste (MSW) infrastructure in India. The purpose of this paper is to draw focus on the promotion of low carbon infrastructure by improving the procurement process of the public–private partnership (PPP) approach.

The current study employed a case study methodology. This paper develops and validates a “five-fold framework,” comprising of selection, financial, operational, standards and targets measures, for integrating LC principles in the procurement of infrastructure projects.

The public sector fails to understand the importance of the need to incorporate climate change mitigation strategies due to poor procurement competencies. With respect to the operationalization of the framework, funding of viability gap in operations instead of construction, allowing renegotiation clauses to cater possible future LC technological improvements and incorporating emission reduction targets at the local and national levels were highlighted.

LC principles presented in this paper are not exhaustive and are verified using a single Indian PPP case. Future research endeavor can focus on the relevancy and operationalization of these principles using a more elaborate set of indicators and extend the study to other sectors and countries.

This paper seeks to act as guidelines for governments on how to create and improve LC MSW PPP infrastructure projects to facilitate simultaneous achievement of both climate change mitigation and infrastructure delivery goals. The current study could add value to the current emphasis on LC transitions by policymakers, government agencies and regulators.