As a developing economy, India has numerous developmental aspirations. How India meets these goals without worsening the climate crisis is at the heart of CSTEP's work. Addressing climate change and enabling a secure and sustainable future for Indian citizens require an overhaul of previous paradigms on development and resource utilisation. This is reflected in our work on developing low-carbon trajectories for development with an emphasis on nature-based solutions.
We are working with state governments across India to build capacity on risk and vulnerability assessments to inform their respective action plans on climate change. The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is crucial to achieving a secure and sustainable future. CSTEP's studies explore the possibility of a greater integration of renewables in the energy sector.
Can Relieving the Urban Fever Help Our Climate?
The embracing of rapid urbanisation for better lifestyles has led to mindless concretisation, proving to be one of the biggest threats to the outdoor temperature in cities.
Commonly known as the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, this localised phenomenon causes a rise in the land surface temperature (LST) as materials absorb and retain heat. This leads to a series of direct and indirect impacts on citizens, biodiversity, and emissions.
Unnatural, Excessive & Toxic
What is un-natural in today’s context is that in just 200 years, there’s been a 40% increase in carbon dioxide which has already caused warming of 1 degree. Not only is the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide higher than what scientists have observed in 800,000 years, but current warming on Earth is occurring ten times faster than normally seen during an inter-glacial period.
No silver bullet: Essays on India’s net-zero transition
India announced its net-zero target for the year 2070. Long-term projection models are expected to play an important role in developing India’s strategies to achieve this target. However, developing such long-term strategies is a very complex and challenging task because of the uncertainties involved in looking at such long-time horizons.
Policy Matters [July-September 2022]
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District-Level Changes in Climate: Historical Climate and Climate Change Projections for the Northern States of India
The impacts of climate variability, climate change, and extreme events are visible globally and in India. The Global Climate Risk Index 2021 ranks India seventh, considering the extent to which India has been affected by the impacts of weather-related loss events (storms, floods, heatwaves, etc.). The index signals that repercussions of escalating climate change are exacerbating and can no longer be ignored.
Artificial Intelligence for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
Extreme and unpredictable changes in the climate are a cause of serious concern globally. In India, the impacts of climate change are already profound. The second part of the Sixth Assessment Report (Working Group II contribution) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), released in early 2022, has referred to India as one of the countries to be most “economically harmed” by climate change. The situation mandates urgent nationwide measures to build climate resilience by mitigating climate-related adversities and enabling adaptation.
The ghost of the past comes back to haunt Bengaluru
What we are seeing in Bengaluru today is a mixture of events happening at two different levels.
India’s Future in Sustainable Aviation: The Decarbonisation Route
India’s aviation market is the third largest worldwide, after the United States of America (USA) and China. Various government policies and initiatives, including the Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) Policy, which aimed at enhancing rural connectivity, have aided in the growth of the sector.
Exploring synergies between India's climate change and land degradation targets: Lessons from Glasgow Climate COP
Land degradation, extending over 96 million hectares is a primary ecological issue for India that has resulted in catastrophic biodiversity loss and exacerbated extreme weather occurrences. One of the major sources of land degradation is large-scale coal mining to realize country's expanding energy demands. By 2050 climate change and land degradation, will result in $1730 billion loss for India.