Bengaluru, Dec 21 : The Union Ministry of Power has selected Karnataka as the winner of the first prize in the State Designated Agency (SDA Group-1) sector at the National Energy Conservation Awards-2023 (NECA 2022). The National Energy Conservation Awards ' 2023 was organised by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) as part of the 'National Energy Conservation Day', an official release stated on Thursday. President Droupadi Murmu presented the award to K.P. Rudrappaiah, MD, Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd (KREDL), as an appreciation for the state's achievement in energy conservation at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi last week. KREDL was chosen for the prestigious award based on the energy efficiency projects they implemented in the State. Minister for Energy K.J. George, congratulated the Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited (KREDL) officials for their notable achievement, emphasising the significance of energy conservation in addressing the challenges posed by climate change and global warming. He highlighted the department's unwavering commitment to clean and green energy initiatives, primarily focusing on raising awareness about energy conservation and enhancing energy efficiency. Gaurav Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary (Energy) to the Government of Karnataka, expressed his happiness and said, "The states have a vital role in India's energy efficiency policy implementation. In Karnataka, we are working relentlessly to meet the state-specific goals of sustainable development in the most energy-efficient way. In this regard, the State has taken several measures to achieve energy efficiency.' Rudrapaiah, MD, KREDL, said, "We are pleased to be recognised for the spectacular work. KREDL has always been at the forefront of implementing Energy Conservation and Energy Efficiency (EC & EE) Activities. We have collaborated with the government and private stakeholders to promote the adoption of an energy-saving target of around 744MU in 5 major sectors over five years," he added. Karnataka has scored highest and placed as a top-performing State categorised as 'Front runner' across the country for three consecutive years, i.e. during SEEI 2020, SEEI 2021-2022, 2023. Now, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has declared the award for the State Energy Efficiency Index (SEEI) 2023, wherein Karnataka has scored the highest point of 85.75 and has been placed as a top-performing state in the country. Implementing Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservation endeavours is critical for meeting India's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target of reducing the emission intensity of its GDP by 45 per cent by 2030 from the 2005 level. From empirical research, it is now established that energy conservation measures shall make the largest contribution to meeting the NDC target and mitigating adverse climatic change. In this regard, the Government of India has taken several measures to achieve energy efficiency over the last 22 years since the enactment of the EC Act in 2001. In this context, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) developed and launched the State Energy Efficiency Index in 2018 to capture the level of energy efficiency in each State and set targets for improvement in determined sectors across the country. /IANS