Climate Change
At CSEP, our data-driven research on climate change seeks to identify actions that India needs to take to tackle the issue, whether related to mitigation or adaptation. Our study explains why we need steep emissions cuts now. We track India's commitments to climate action, offer policy recommendations, and analyse how net zero targets must be backed by credible action to build a sustainable world.
COP29: No Surprise That New Climate Finance Deal Fell Short...
Developing countries have declared COP29 a 'failure' due to the lack of climate leadership from the Global North, writes Pooja Ramamurthi. ...
COP29 and Reducing Climate Leadership: What India Can Do...
India should seize the opportunity to boost its own role in diplomacy and global governance as a credible actor in tackling today’s pressing...
A Safe Climate Depends on a Transformed IMF – Here’s How it Must...
To fulfill its mandate, the IMF must urgently evolve across its three key areas: surveillance, lending and global leadership....
Why Everyone Exaggerates “Climate Finance”...
Instead of just worrying about the quantity of finance, we must also worry about the quality of the finance. Too much is labeled climate finance,...
India Needs its own Green New Deal...
The biggest impediment to this is milquetoast ambitions and the inability to go beyond incremental changes, not a lack of money....
A Roadmap for Global Health Diplomacy by India in the era of Climate...
A roadmap for global health diplomacy by India in the era of climate change....
Counting on Carbon Pricing...
Renewable energy does not generate the tax and non-tax revenues that fossil fuels do.
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Six key Aspects of a Carbon Credit Trading System That India Must get...
A market for carbon credits could be a major step forward in decarbonizing the economy, but only if it is properly designed. From the system's...
Taxation Alternatives for India’s Energy Transition – ESAM...
This study explores how replacing current fossil fuel taxes with alternative taxation options—such as carbon taxes, user taxes, and goods and...
The Cost Conundrum: How CBAM Could Affect the Competitiveness of EU...
With more countries, including the UK, and Australia announcing their intention to implement similar CBAM mechanisms, thoughtful consideration of the...
From Uttarakhand to Wayanad: Balancing Realpolitik with Green Transition...
Challenge for our leaders is to walk the line between sustainability and demands of national security and economic growth...
India’s Fiscal Transition Goals Through The Lens Of Union Budget 2024...
A roadmap for realising energy transition goals by examining the need for restructuring fossil taxes and subsidies in the present and subsequent Union...
Uttarakhand Forest Fires: Why Villagers Don’t Help the State in Risk...
The forest department has, in local expertise, a valuable asset. They must harness it even if to do so they have to reintroduce an incentive scheme....
Climate Change: India’s Commitments...
In the cover story of Pravasi Indians, Rajesh Chadha discusses the critical need to address climate change immediately....
Cereals Under Climate Threat...
Rising incidents of heatwaves are alarming scientists, while countries face declining wheat yields and output. Could India have been an exception?...
Interview | India’s Climate Change...
He discusses Fiscal Transition and its impacts in the Indian context using the indigenously developed Environmentally extended Social Accounting...
Mobilising Climate Finance: Imperative of Carbon Pricing...
Carbon pricing can be an effective tool not only for raising resources over the medium term for mitigation and adaptation, but also for decarbonising...
Podcast | Going Green: Can the Global South Develop Without Fossil Fuel?...
On this Doha Debates Podcast, Zaki Mamdoo and Rahul Tongia drill down on environmentalism, development and energy equity...
A Medium-Term Strategy for Transitioning to Net Zero by 2070...
This paper assesses the feasibility of India achieving its stated goal of net zero by 2070 and presents a medium-term strategy for what would be...
An Overview of Climate-Economy and Energy System Models...
The paper outlines the technical attributes and features of the mathematical modelling programs, such as sectoral coverage, economic growth...
What a Climate-Aligned IMF Would Look Like...
In light of the IMF approving current Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva for another five-year term, Rakesh Mohan and Mohamed Nasheed share their...
Achieving Catalytic Impact with the Resilience and Sustainability Trust...
A new policy brief from the Task Force on Climate, Development and the IMF seeks to improve the RST’s design by taking stock of the early...
Developing World Must Raise Own Climate Finance...
Developed countries and MDBs can raise just a third of the requirement. Carbon pricing and ETS will have to play a bigger role....
Even Under Capitalism, There is Hope for Climate Change Solutions...
Vikram Singh Mehta reviews the book book Climate Capitalism: Winning the Global Race to Zero Emissions by Akshat Rathi....
India’s Energy Transition...
Laveesh Bhandari and Rajat Verma examine the fiscal implications that are to be borne in mind to arrive
...
Three’s not a Crowd for Improved Climate Action...
Pooja Ramamurthi argue that partnerships with bridging powers are increasingly vital to unpicking North-South gridlocks and effective climate...
Examining the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism: Issues and Challenges...
Effective implementation of the CCTS will enable Indian enterprises to demonstrate their commitment to low-carbon production processes using green...
This is What’s Slowing Down the Clean Energy Transition...
With Big Oil's 2050 forecast that places oil and gas at the centre of energy basket, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve net-zero...
India’s Climate Diplomacy: New Priorities and Policy Options...
This Policy Brief explores how India has transformed into a positive force on the global stage, achieving domestic climate targets and spearheading...
Interview | Does India Need a Climate Change Resilience Authority?...
India is experiencing extreme weather conditions. Is it time for a climate change resilience authority?
...
To Lead the Global South, India Must Leverage Its Bridging Power...
India actively works with the United Nations on South-South development, being one of its largest financial donors....
Was CoP-28 a Cop-out or Did the Conference Achieve Something?...
CoP meetings have routinely talked of the need for a fair and just transition, consistent with the principles of "common but differentiated...
Podcast | COP28: Spotlight On Indian Climate Diplomacy...
In the last one decade, India has cast itself as being part of the climate solution—which in turn has created the space for diplomatic negotiations....
Assessing the Impact of CBAM on EITE Industries in India...
This research specifically focuses on the uncertainties surrounding the potential impact of CBAM on trade-exposed sectors with high energy intensity,...
The Poor Should Control Carbon Emissions, But the Rich Must Eliminate Them...
If the world must achieve zero emissions by 2050, it’s impractical and unfair to require all countries to reach that goal simultaneously....
Financing Climate Change: Mitigation and Adaptation in Developing...
This working paper attempts to quantify the scale and possible composition of the international financial assistance required to help developing...
Managing climate change: A strategy for India...
Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Utkarsh Patel describe how India could make progress towards meeting its climate change mitigation commitments which...
Climate Diplomacy Must Begin at Home...
It is now time to invest in a strategic capacity so that India's climate diplomacy is better equipped to transform prevailing climate commitments into...
Developing an Environmentally-extended Social Accounting Matrix for India...
This study tackles the existing research and data gaps regarding pollution generation by incorporating sector-specific data from India’s greenhouse...
A Cap-and-Trade System will Help Slash Emissions More Efficiently...
A key feature of a cap-and-trade system must be a steady reduction in allowances per unit of output over time, calibrated to the net-zero target,...
India’s Global Climate Strategy...
India’s progress in driving the need for climate mitigation and adaptation has been commendable and swift. A key question is whether results in...
Tracks to Transition: India’s Global Climate Strategy...
An increasingly competitive geopolitical context is fragmenting global climate governance and traditional modes of multilateral cooperation. The...
Harnessing Private Capital for Global Public Goods: Issues, Challenges and...
Gulzar Natarajan and V Anantha Nageswaran make the case that poverty alleviation, growth, and climate-related transition, which require both public...
Non-Price Policies for Addressing Climate Change: The Global Experience...
Renu Kohli, Honey Karun and Saumya analyse the non-price policy measures that aim to lower carbon emissions across the G20 countries....
Current Green Transition Solutions Disregard Social and Political...
Institutions have to be built that facilitate global cooperation, skill development and technology transfer and also enable the mediation of the...
Environment Policy Needs Federalism to Play a Big Role...
How well central and state-level administrations coordinate climate action will determine key outcomes, writes Anoop Singh....
The Climate Crisis: What is the Global Way Out?...
In the ‘era of global boiling’, challenge can only be met if we act in political, economic, financial concert, says Vikram Singh Mehta....
India is Adapting to the Shifting Climate Terrain...
India has a unique opportunity to use the G20 presidency to drive climate cooperation as crises abound and the desire for deep climate action is...
Interview | Govt Listens When Think Tanks Talk. They are Growing in Clout...
India's aspiration to become a global climate leader is getting a boost from an expanding ecosystem of homegrown policy and research institutes. Here...
Mapping the Climate Transition by Identifying Policy Interventions...
RBI’s report lays down a buffet of choices. Policymakers must now pick what is nutritious but also conforms to political taste....
The IMF’s Turn to Lead on Climate...
While the International Monetary Fund has made great strides on climate change in a short time, emerging markets and developing economies need...
India has Big Clean Energy Goals – So Why is it Banking on Coal?...
India's renewables targets, while ambitious, will still not be enough to meet rising power demand, comments Rahul Tongia....
Podcast | Path to Climate Justice in a Net Zero World | ft. Tejal Kanitkar...
In this India Energy Hour podcast episode, Rahul Tongia discusses how we can design equitable models for climate action....
Does Nuclear Power have a Role in our Climate Change Strategy?...
Yes, nuclear power has a role in climate change strategy, but we will have to rethink several aspects of our current policy on this form of energy...
Interview | Growth Of Renewable Energy High In India, But Pace Not Enough...
The lesson for us is that our supply system must be sufficient and flexible to allow such new technology to come in. And that raises another set of...
India’s Fossil Fuel Lessons for Net Zero...
As the transition to clean energy becomes imperative, India’s tryst with hydrocarbons can offer a roadmap of what not to do....
Where’s the Capital for Climate?...
At COP26, the PM set a clear target that India, with the help of global investment, will achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2070. For this...
India’s Transition to Green Energy will have a Significant Impact on...
Another effect of the energy transition that needs to be considered is the impact on employment; in some states, a significant proportion of the...
The Path to Decarbonisation in the Wake of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict...
Against this international backdrop, India must pivot the needle of its energy compass towards short-term energy security and long-term...
Climate Change, Weather Anomalies, and Agriculture: Impact on Output of...
The paper finds that the availability of greater data makes it possible to assess a large set of crops over a long period of time, and therefore,...
Four Steps to Make India’s Energy Transition Less Painful...
India must make a fiscal transition alongside the energy transition. Here's how it could make a start. ...
COP27: Joining the dots between Binsar and Sharm El-Sheikh...
To resolve the environment-development conflict, begin with local initiatives that can be scaled-up and provided market access through support of...
Was COP27 a Cop-Out?...
The loss-and-damage fund is welcome but other vital issues were left hanging. India’s G20 presidency may help us find clarity....
Podcast | Are Current Climate Initiatives Unfair to Developing Nations?...
Rahul Tongia speaks to Kai Ryssdal of NPR Marketplace about how current climate initiatives are unfair towards developing nations....
Green Cess Needs a Makeover...
A graded form of an ecological tax must be levied on the value of outputs of sectors that are polluting, write Rajat Verma and Ganesh Sivamani. ...
It is Unfair to Push Poor Countries to Reach Zero Carbon Emissions too...
Rahul Tongia argues about the need to shift the conversation from futuristic Net-Zero ambitions toward practical and equitable emissions trajectories...
Critical Challenges in Realising the Energy Transition: An Overview of...
Laveesh Bhandari and Aasheerwad Dwivedi's paper studies three of the many challenges that state governments will face as India transitions away from a...
Nature Contributes to Economic Prosperity and Well-Being...
Experts emphasize that while a statistic such as GDP does a good job of showing the value of goods and services exchanged in markets, it does not...
Financing Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in Developing Countries...
Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Utkarsh Patel's paper attempts to quantify the scale and possible composition of international financial assistance that...
Modelling the Impact of the Clean Environment Cess: A Hybrid Energy...
Rajat Verma and Ganesh Sivamani's paper seeks to measure the impact of this cess on greenhouse gas
...
India’s Energy and Fiscal Transition...
Laveesh Bhandari and Aasheerwad Dwivedi's paper looks at India’s expected energy transition towards a low-carbon future, and studies how government...
Managing Climate Change: A Strategy for India...
Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Utkarsh Patel's study shows that there is considerable scope for reducing the volume of emissions through a combination of...
India needs climate action targets for next 10 years...
A 10-year-plan will help increase public consciousness and generate a public debate on aspects of the strategy that may seem contentious, write Montek...
The Ukraine Conflict has Raked up Old Dilemmas...
Vikram S Mehta writes: Issues related to energy security, climate change mitigation have been brought to the forefront....
जलवायु बिगड़ने के साथ भारत का...
भारत में जलवायु परिवर्तन के कारण हो रही घटनाओं को अब...
Power Sector must Brace for Trouble as Climate Worsens...
India can no longer label extreme climate events as ‘unforeseeable’. The Union govt must prepare for them with alternate approaches....
Coping with Fiscal Effects of Energy Transition...
CSEP scholars Laveesh Bhandari and Asheerwad Dwivedi analyse how governments’ (both Centre and State) revenue from coal, oil and natural gas, will...
Climate Change Policy for Developing Countries...
The paper attempts to take stock of what has been achieved in the COP-26 meetings held in Glasgow in November 2021 and suggest the course of action...
We Need Wardens in Our Eco Parks...
Take the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). It is assigned the task of monitoring air and water quality, and to also check commercial or...
Wanted: New leaders to tackle climate change challenge...
COP 27 should be led by a collective of experts, who can accelerate the implementation of the action plan towards Net Zero, says Vikram Singh Mehta. ...
Reforming Electricity Distribution in India: Understanding Delicensing and...
The changes being proposed by the government for delicensing distribution and allowing multiple discoms in the same geographical area are unlikely to...
India Needs a Coordinated Approach for Decarbonisation of Economy...
Long-term planning process must be changed and an autonomous, credible agency must provide independent advice, monitor progress....
Does the Glasgow Pact Make Climate Finance Available to Us?...
We must push hard for funds at next year’s CoP and do what’s possible at home to enhance flows of capital into green projects....
The Glasgow Summit on Climate Change: What Has it Achieved?...
A promising start on emissions reduction, but big emitters must do more and India needs to work out a detailed plan of action....
Net Zero: Pledges Are Not Enough...
There are several problems with the so-called 'carbon neutrality' pledges. These can only be understood properly if they are accompanied by details...
Long-Term Goal-Setting and Planning for Decarbonising the Indian Power...
It is important that the approach used in India for setting and implementation of targets pays attention
...
Net Zero Carbon Pledges Have Good Intentions. But They are Not Enough....
Reaching zero is important, but there is no universal consensus on when the date of net zero should be. The “sooner the better” remains a common...
Ahead of CoP 26 Meet: A Negotiation Strategy...
The right approach is for each country to focus not on the net zero date but to indicate its emissions reduction trajectory consistent with its...
The Inside Story of India’s Coal and Power Crises...
Simple arithmetic will show that power plants consumed more coal than they received, but given that generation wasn’t exceptionally high, does this...
Getting to Net Zero: An Approach for India at CoP-26...
The best short-term target India could offer would be a planned phasing out of coal based power generation....
Flatten-the-curve: Why total carbon emissions matter much more than...
Becoming zero is important, but “date of net-zero” is incomplete, lacking any measure of what the date should be. “Sooner is better” remains a...
Balancing India’s electricity grid in 2030: A detailed, granular...
India has some of the most aggressive RE targets in the world. How can we offer solutions to balance the electricity grid and osupply and demand? ...
Check green damage: India needs to strengthen environmental assessments...
Comprehensive Environment Impact Assessments (EIA) are essential to determine the project’s benefits and externalities ...
What will be the impact of scrappage policy on India’s EV market?...
India’s vehicle scrappage policy introduced in the 2021 budget session aims at replacing end-of-life vehicles (ELV)....
The Next Stop: Natural Gas and India’s Journey to a Clean Energy...
The Next Stop, edited by Vikram Singh Mehta, features 38 global experts on a comprehensive roadmap for India’s natural gas sector....
Why India needs a plan for climate talks...
Irrespective of the direction in which climate talks move, India must announce a national target for phasing down coal-based generation of...
India 2024: A green India...
India faces a variety of challenges related to energy and the environment. Here are several initiatives that the next government could contemplate...
India 2024: A sustainable India...
How things change in five years. We have seen many positive steps, some with effort, some part of broader global trends. Nearly all homes in India...
Around the halls: Brookings experts on what to watch at the COP 24 climate...
The 24th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 24) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) begins Monday,...
Understanding India, its energy needs and ambitions, and the global...
At least one newspaper headline this year declared that renewable energy in India is now cheaper than coal and that coal is surely on its way out....
India does not have the luxury to develop now and “clean up”...
New Year’s Day is an opportune occasion for reflection and re-emphasis. I summarise below 10 energy-related suggestions that I made last year,...
Transitioning Towards a Sustainable Energy Future: Challenges and...
India sits at the nub of the crisis of the current high carbon model of development. It is not responsible for this crisis and it can legitimately...
Challenges ahead for clean energy...
Who doesn’t want clean or ‘green’ energy? But what if this costs a bit more? We might quickly find many people’s appetite for...
A patchy green – energy policy in India...
Arvind Panagariya did not list the “draft national energy policy”, prepared by the Niti Aayog and circulated for comment on June 27, as...
Trump’s Paris Agreement withdrawal: What it means and what comes...
Today, President Donald Trump announced that he will withdraw the United States from the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change. It was adopted in...
Think you’re being eco-friendly by using cloth bags? Think again...
The most important factor for cloth bags to actually be “eco-friendly”: reuse 171 times. That’s how many times one reportedly has to...
India has done little to bridge energy supply-demand gap...
India has done very little in the last few decades by way of harmonizing its governance structures to secure its energy needs despite a surging demand...
India-US relations: Energy and environment...
The energy market has undergone a major structural change since 2015. The most dramatic manifestations of this change are Saudi Arabia’s...
Sustainable development goals must be linked to energy and environment...
Niti Aayog needs a sharp focus on weakening the link between energy demand and environmental degradation writes Vikram Mehta Niti Aayog has placed on...
India and Climate Change – Spoilsport or just late to the party?...
India may have been late to the emissions party, but with innovation and rapid development, it can make a disproportionate contribution to emissions...
Any progress on climate change will depend on innovation and global...
The climate-change relevant question is, how will the continuing compounded advance of technology impact the energy sector? How do we square this...
Will India accept legally binding agreements at COP21?...
As world leaders gather for the global COP21 climate negotiations. Many may feel it is now or never. But the question remains, who is supposed to...
The Green Budget...
This column first appeared in the Indian Express, on February 2, 2015. Like other products of the Brookings Institution India Center, this is...
India and Climate Change: Reversing the Development-Climate Nexus...
After the November 2014 joint U.S.-China announcement on climate change, all eyes turned towards India. What would India do? Would it sign a similar...
A story of the clean energy fund...
The finance minister announced in his budget speech that he would enhance the resources of the “clean energy fund” by doubling the cess on...
Reflections from Binsar...
Talent, money and policy must be harnessed to search for the optimal development-environment balance The tragedy in Uttarakhand cannot be overstated....
Seminar
10
Jan
2025
11:00 AM
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12:30 PM (IST)
CSEP Auditorium
Seminar
16
Jan
2025
11:00 AM
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01:00 PM (IST)
CSEP Auditorium
COP29: No Surprise That New Climate Finance Deal Fell Short
India has some of the most aggressive RE targets in the world. How can we offer solutions to balance the electricity grid and osupply and demand?
The Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) is an independent, public policy think tank with a mandate to conduct research and analysis on critical issues facing India and the world and help shape policies that advance sustainable growth and development.