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.
Advancing Circular Economy in India: Sustainable Resource Efficiency and Policy Imperatives in Solar Photovoltaics and Telecommunication
In an era of escalating environmental concerns and the pursuit of sustainable development, the circular economy emerges as a transformative solution. This paper examines India's Solar Photovoltaics and Telecommunication sectors, assessing their potential for circular economy practices, resource efficiency, and waste management. While solar photovoltaics contribute to a greener energy mix, the mounting concern of PV waste persists. Similarly, the telecommunications industry faces a surge in electronic waste due to rapid advancements.
Press Release: Pathways to Steer India's Buildings Sector Towards a Net Zero Future
New Delhi, 18 March 2024: ‘By 2030, India is expected to be home to 6 megacities with populations above 10 million. Currently, 17% of India’s urban population lives in slums.
Pathways to Steer India’s Buildings Sector Towards a Net-Zero Future
In the face of the global imperative to limit the rise in temperatures to 1.5 °C (above pre-industrial level), as outlined in the Paris Agreement, nations have been striving to transition towards a net-zero economy. This challenge is particularly pronounced for India, where the dual goals of fulfilling developmental aspirations and curbing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions pose a complex challenge.
Beyond shelter, dweller needs within the four walls
In the interim Budget 2024, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the construction of two crore additional houses over the next five years under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin (PMAY-G) and the introduction of a new housing scheme for the middle class.
Unravelling India’s Changing Rural Migration Patterns Amidst Climate Change
The 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai underscored the need for scaling up and strengthening adaptation and resilience activities to protect the vulnerable sections of society, such as farmers, from the adverse impacts of climate change. Escalating rural migration and diminishing local production in rural areas due to climate impacts markedly influence the Indian economy, which is essentially agrarian and predominantly rainfed.
IPCC work on seventh climate assessment threatened by shorter timelines
Established in 1988, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been bringing out climate change assessment reports on a periodic basis. So far, it has produced six assessment reports, three special reports, as well as methodology reports that provide guidelines for estimating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removal.
Trans-segmental cooperation is the key to implement the renewable energy initiatives announced in the Interim Budget 2024
In a welcome move, the Interim Budget 2024 provides great impetus to the rooftop solar segment through the ‘Pradhanmantri Suryodaya Yojana’. Under this scheme, the current rooftop solar subsidy rate of 40 percent has been increased to 60 percent. Allocation for the solar power sector has seen an increase of 48 percent compared to the last year. At present, India has 11 GW of rooftop solar installations, but the major potential remains untapped.
Empowering Grassroots for Climate Action: Dissemination of Climate Modules
The first blog looked into the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy’s (CSTEP’s) engagement with Climate Asia (CA) on their Climate Action for Civil Society Organisation Development Programme for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). In this concluding blog, we explore the design and development of the climate modules and share insights and learnings from the engagement.
Empowering Grassroots for Climate Action: Bridging the Knowledge Divide
In this two-part blog series, we revisit our experience in capacity building for civil society organisations (CSOs) working across India’s diverse rural landscape, where there is an urgent need to enhance climate adaptation knowledge to address the multi-dimensional challenges of climate change.