Opinions
Opinion: India is on the climate crisis front line. So why isn’t that an election issue?
Aditya Valiathan Pillai | 20 April 2024
Climate won’t be a major issue in India’s upcoming six-week-long national election, unlike in Australia, the UK, and US, where elections can hinge on climate policy positions. But it will shape Indian elections in definitive but under-the-radar ways.
Design national framework climate laws to enable low-carbon resilient transformation
Navroz K Dubash | 15 February 2024
In countries where politics are embedded in local development concerns such as job creation or environmental issues, an enabling approach to climate law may work better than a purely regulatory approach.
Why closing schools does not protect children from air pollution
Arunesh Karkun and Abinaya Sarkar | 28 November 2023
It absolves educational institutions and government agencies of their responsibility towards ensuring clean air while hampering learning outcomes.
Rebalance attention from global target setting toward national climate politics and policy
Navroz K Dubash | 6 October 2023
The first Global Stocktake (GST) confirms that progress in reducing emissions is well behind what is required to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. What is to be done?
The G20 should forge a pact to support nations’ shifts to a low-carbon future
Navroz K Dubash | 5 July 2023
Fossil fuels should be used sparingly, in the areas where they contribute most to human welfare.
USD 100 Billion: Delivering The Nucleus Of Climate Finance
Aman Srivastava | 26 June 2023
Recent analysis has found that the finance that developed countries are reporting towards that USD 100 billion targets is not always going towards clear climate purposes – some of the projects that have been included in their reporting were a coal plant, a hotel expansion, chocolate stores, a movie, and an airport expansion.
Seeing India’s energy transition through its States
Ashwini K Swain, Ann Josey et al. | 7 June 2023
States are critical actors in India’s energy transition as there is a multi-tier governance of energy production and usage.
Keeping development at the forefront of India’s long-term climate strategy
Parth Bhatia, Mandakini Chandra et al. | 5 June 2023
India’s Long Term Low Emissions Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) sets out multiple low-carbon transitions, highlighting that climate action will be intimately tied to developmental processes.This article identifies some of the challenges and opportunities embedded within these transitions, and reflects on how these will impact developmental priorities such as employment and energy security.
Heatwaves will get worse. Invest in adapting now.
Aditya Valliathan Pillai and Satchit Balsari | 20 May 2023
India’s recent heat deaths are not outliers. They signal a dismal future unless we start taking the urgent threat of heat seriously.
The gaps in India’s ‘heat action plans’
Aditya Valiathan Pillai | 26 March 2023
The Indian government’s primary policy response to the life-threatening heat comes in the form of “heat action plans”. These plans urge a healthy mix of different solution types but most plans do not account for local context, are underfunded and are poor at identifying and targeting vulnerable groups.
A climate change survival guide to act on
Navroz K Dubash and Parth Bhatia | 24 March 2023
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change AR6 synthesis report is a sobering account of present and future damages to ecosystems.
India can play a key role in climate cooperation
Navroz K Dubash | 13 February 2023
India took on a key position on the world stage by assuming the presidency of G20. This year, India will aim to provide leadership to a group of countries that comprises 85% of the world’s GDP and 60% of its population. India must use its presidency to push for greater cooperation to combat complex climate issues.
India’s just energy transition is more than a coal story
Easwaran J Narassimhan, Ashwini K Swain et al. | 6 February 2023
India’s G-20 presidency is an opportunity for New Delhi to negotiate a deal for itself while also shaping international cooperation on just energy transitions.
Can a national carbon market help India cut both emissions and costs?
Aman Srivastava | 26 January 2023
The market must work in sync with a range of policy instruments. Stable institutional and regulatory structures must balance competing interests and trade-offs to ensure optimum coverage, caps, pricing and reporting.
Anti-smog guns, sprinklers, dust suppressants: How effective are these quick-fixes to air pollution?
Abinaya Sekar and Bhargav Krishna | 10 January 2023
With high water usage, questionable water quality and health risks, these methods have, at best, limited effects.
Weather the Change
Navroz K Dubash | 2 January 2023
2023 should be the year climate change is mainstreamed into India’s development decisions.
COP27 and the ambiguity about responsibility
Aman Srivastava and Anirudh Sridhar | 26 November 2022
With the new Loss and Damage fund, the line between victim and perpetrator has been blurred
Look beyond COP for climate action
Navroz K Dubash | 22 November 2022
COP27 will be marked for the loss and damage fund and stalled steps on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But the time has arrived to focus on what nations are doing at home, not global meets.
Health as the focus of air pollution policy
Bhargav Krishna and Sagnik Dey | 16 November 2022
Health must be turned into a feature and eventually a function of air pollution policy
Climate priorities: Tackling climate governance in India
Navroz K Dubash and Anirudh Sridhar | 15 November 2022
Addressing climate change through policy may not be enough. Legislation around climate can ensure economy-wide outcomes. Broader political context will also need to be considered, in India as in the rest of the world, while drawing laws to ensure that both environmental and development objectives are met.
As global warming proceeds, how can India introduce climate governance to law?
Navroz K Dubash and Anirudh Sridhar | 9 November 2022
Starting with a governance functions approach – identifying the problems to be solved – allows legal reform to be tailored to disparate national contexts.
Three small steps can solidify Modi’s Mission LiFE—urban planning to behavioural change
Navroz K Dubash, Annanya Mahajan et al. | 4 November 2022
As India takes over the G20 presidency in December, LiFE offers a platform to promote individual-led demand-side interventions on the international stage.
How could Indian law tackle climate governance?
Navroz K Dubash and Anirudh Sridhar | 4 November 2022
As climate change becomes an increasing concern, addressing the problem only through policy may not be enough. In this piece, Dubash and Sridhar suggest that legislation around climate can ensure economy-wide outcomes, and put forth nine considerations that countries hoping to implement climate law should satisfy to effectively tackle climate change.
The weakest link in the air pollution fight
Shibani Ghosh and Bhargav Krishna | 2 November 2022
As key environmental indicators worsen across India, it is clear that State Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control Committees are falling short in meeting their statutory mandate
Two pivotal pillars that will dominate COP27
Navroz K Dubash | 1 November 2022
For the annual climate meet to facilitate action across the developed and developing world and enhance equity, North-South tensions on loss and damage as well as finance need redressal
COP27: We Need To Improve Climate Models To Make Better Policy
Aman Srivastava and Kaveri Iychettira | 1 November 2022
As COP27 approaches, the spotlight once again turns to building a compelling national narrative around climate change – based on what India can do and what India needs.
For clean air, strengthen pollution control boards
Shibani Ghosh | 31 October 2022
The boards were envisioned as autonomous entities, and strong political will coupled with bureaucratic support is required to realise this vision, even if it constrains the government’s (other) policy objectives.
Addressing North India’s burning issue sustainably
Bhargav Krishna | 21 October 2022
The issue of crop stubble burning cannot be addressed in a silo and using short-term, unsustainable solutions
As India Readies Its Carbon Market, a Q&A of What’s at Stake
Aman Srivastava and Ashwini K Swain | 20 October 2022
The creation of a national carbon market in India, depending on its institutional setup, policy integration and design could offer a mechanism to reduce emissions – or it could result in serious economic costs. The authors here put forth seven key considerations for its design – including India’s growth objectives, trade balance, fiscal revenues, and the effect on its MSMEs.
Trade-offs in carbon trading: Can a carbon market yield benefits for India?
Aman Srivastava and Ashwini K Swain | 18 October 2022
The creation of a national carbon market in India, depending on its institutional setup, policy integration, and design could offer a mechanism for reducing emissions, or it could result in serious economic costs.
Forging a national consensus on climate adaptation is key
Aditya Valliathan Pillai | 7 September 2022
Adaptation is best seen as a long-term anti-poverty measure whose policy relevance grows as the zone of climate vulnerability expands on the Indian map
Choosing a climate action path wisely
Navroz K Dubash | 5 September 2022
For a climate-sensitive development plan, India must walk a line between the ‘development-first climate-later’ view and the ‘untrammelled opportunity’ view
Why India’s Framework to Bank Renewable Energy Needs To Be Stronger
Catherine Ayallore | 22 August 2022
A technological solution to renewable energy source’s intermittency is the physical storage of energy. Thus, storage technologies are critical to a transition to RE heavy energy systems.
India needs to build a ‘climate-ready’ state
Navroz K Dubash | 15 August 2022
As climate change has already affected what constitutes effective development, a growing, aspirational nation such as India needs to factor climate considerations into its vision of future development
Why a Niti Aayog study on the economic costs of ‘judicial activism’ must be viewed with scepticism
Annanya Mahajan | 8 August 2022
The report fails to make its evaluations in an unbiased and rigorous manner.
Pledges, plans, and actions: An analysis of India’s Panchamrit pledges
Aman Srivastava and Ashwini K Swain | 12 July 2022
In anticipation of India updating its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Aman Srivastava and Ashwini Swain evaluate the climate pledges made by Prime Minister Modi at COP26.
India at bottom in EPI 2022 but environment survey confuses and stifles honest discussion on climate change
Navroz K Dubash and Sharachchandra Lele | 14 June 2022
Methodology of Yale-Columbia Environmental Performance Index is indefensible, tone-deaf on ethics, ignorant of a long literature on climate equity, and inconsistent with broadly accepted politics.
Band-Aid Solutions Won’t Staunch India’s Power Crisis
Ashwini K Swain and Rohit Chandra | 31 May 2022
Current short-term fixes for India’s power crisis neither address rising uncertainty in the electricity system nor are aligned to a transition towards a 21st century energy system.
Climate Faultlines: India’s Lessons from the Glasgow COP26 Climate Negotiations
Navroz K Dubash | 11 May 2022
India’s engagement in Glasgow, while storied and multi-faceted, also exposed faultlines in Indian climate politics; the faultlines in framing, policy, institutions, and diplomacy need to be addressed cogently if the country is to successfully negotiate the many transitions ahead.
Three interlinking factors that explain the coal crisis
Ashwini K Swain | 5 May 2022
The current crisis can be explained by a demand surge, supply disruptions and dysfunctional cash flow.
Policy packages could transform India’s approach to the climate crisis
Parth Bhatia and Navroz K Dubash | 29 April 2022
For a country like India, a policy package approach could help unlock the social acceptability of transformative action.
Climate crisis: No universal solutions
Navroz K Dubash | 5 April 2022
The latest IPCC report says the world is not on track for achieving the mitigation goals. The response to that should be to redouble efforts and limit harm to the extent possible
Karnataka’s crumbling coastline shows climate battles are political
Aditya Valiathan Pillai | 30 March 2022
As the sea ravages coastal settlements, seawalls are springing up. But real solutions lie elsewhere, far away from the coast.
Air Crisis: India’s Toothless Pollution Response, Delhi-Centric Discourse To Blame
Bhargav Krishna | 28 March 2022
Air pollution is a national emergency. We must reject the discourse centred solely around Delhi and eschew the techno-fixes currently dominating the discourse and recognise the long-term transitions necessary to sustainably improve air quality.
जलवायु संकट में भारत की संघीय प्रणाली की पुनर्कल्पना
Parth Bhatia, Navroz K Dubash et al. | 15 March 2022
सभी देशों की तरह भारत के लिए भी, जलवायु परिवर्तन एक अत्यंत तेजी से बढती समस्या बन गई है। इस लेख के जरिये पिल्लई एवं अन्य तर्क देते हैं कि इस समस्या के समाधान के लिए भारत की संघीय प्रणाली की पुनर्कल्पना करने की आवश्यकता है, क्योंकि भारत के संविधान में जलवायु संबंधी कई क्षेत्रों में राज्यों के महत्वपूर्ण कर्त्तव्य निर्धारित किये गए हैं। वे जलवायु नीति में संस्थागत सुधार हेतु एक नए दृष्टिकोण का सुझाव देते हैं, जो राष्ट्रीय लक्ष्यों के लिए अपने कार्यों का समन्वय करते हुए राज्यों को पर्याप्त लचीलापन देगा।
Reimagining Indian federalism in the climate crisis
Parth Bhatia, Navroz K Dubash et al. | 7 February 2022
Addressing the issue of climate change requires reimagining Indian federalism, as the Indian Constitution gives states a crucial role in several arenas of climate action. The authors propose a new approach to institutional reform in climate policy, one that gives states adequate flexibility while coordinating their actions for national goals.
Bad air: Ad hocism won’t work anymore
Bhargav Krishna and Shibani Ghosh | 23 December 2021
Air pollution is a complex societal problem. We must recognise this and focus our attention on long-term policy pathways with clear goals and timelines
Clearing the air through the revised WHO guidelines
Bhargav Krishna and Santosh Harish | 25 September 2021
The revised WHO guidelines are a clear nudge from the health sector towards the deep decarbonisation of India’s economy
Hot and Flooded: What the IPCC Report Forecasts for India’s Development Future
Mandakini Chandra, Arunesh Karkun et al. | 4 September 2021
To embark on a low-carbon development pathway, India will need an institutional architecture with a more strategic bent.
States are the beating heart of climate action
Navroz K Dubash, Aditya Valiathan Pillai et al. | 2 August 2021
The Centre can play an important supporting role by providing credible analysis on low-carbon policy choices to the states when required.
Design a climate-ready governance system
Navroz K Dubash, Aditya Valiathan Pillai et al. | 24 June 2021
India needs new dedicated organisations, policy frameworks, and financing mechanisms. Begin with a low-carbon development commission
Developing countries need to chart their own course to net zero emissions
Navroz K Dubash, Harald Winkler et al. | 4 May 2021
Translating complex climate science into language people understand has always been difficult. At various times, the aim of different climate policies has been holding average global temperature rise to 2°C or 1.5°C, or ensuring emissions peak by a particular year. Net zero targets are the most recent attempt to simplify the climate crisis in order to make it manageable.
Net-zero emission targets are a hollow pledge
Navroz K Dubash | 24 March 2021
India needs a path that shows how a focus on opportunities for low-carbon development is more likely, in practice, to deliver emissions reductions than abstract future 2050 pledges
Proposing a new climate agenda for India
Navroz K Dubash | 24 March 2021
The Indian road to leadership should be based on near-term actions, institutional strengthening, and a combination of mid- and long-term targets
The surge of geopolitics in South Asia’s power trade
Aditya Valliathan Pillai | 24 March 2021
India’s new trade rules are political and an irritant; instead, New Delhi should be planning a stable institutional model
Give young environmentalists a voice
Navroz K Dubash | 22 February 2021
India has always argued that climate is linked to development choices, livelihoods and equity. Don’t ask activists to narrow down their concerns
What Can COVID-19 Teach Our Government About Communicating Air Quality?
Sharon Mathew and Arunesh Karkun | 16 December 2020
Making information widely accessible to the people has been central to India’s COVID-19 response. So if governments were to raise awareness and disseminate information on air pollution the way they have done with COVID-19, what might that look like?
Draft EIA notification dilutes environmental protections, is in denial of ecological crises
Shibani Ghosh | 11 August 2020
The environment ministry needs to be clear about its role — its mandate is to create and sustain a regulatory framework that prevents the plunder of our natural resources, not actively accelerate the pace of environmental devastation.
The interplay between the pandemic and pollution
Santosh Harish and Shibani Ghosh | 16 July 2020
It offers some opportunities. But the key is in contesting bad policies, which dilute environmental norms, processes
Global solar grid could cause sun burns
Aditya Valiathan Pillai | 25 June 2020
India’s recent experiences, and successful global models, deliver a clear message- power pools can’t be built without an institutional architecture other countries trust
A convergence of crises
Aditya Valiathan Pillai | 10 June 2020
Policy ideas should marry employment and industrial priorities with green outcomes
How Covid-19 can affect India’s energy transition goals
Ashwini K Swain | 8 May 2020
We must use this critical juncture to push for positive reforms and overdue structural changes to build a resilient electricity future
The politics of power in times of a pandemic
Ashwini K Swain | 20 April 2020
There is a slump in demand for electricity. This will create a financial crisis. But can it lead to reforms?
Imagining a different, better future
Navroz K Dubash | 26 March 2020
If sustained, behavioural changes, induced by Covid-19, can alter the way we live and work
Prepaid power is not the silver bullet to solve problem of discom finances
Ashwini K Swain | 10 March 2020
The Centre’s push for smart meters may be an important ingredient for transitioning to a 21st century electricity-system. However, let us not pretend it is the silver bullet to solve the long-standing problems of discom finance and losses.
Three ways by which Delhi’s Kejriwal govt can fulfil its promise to curb air pollution
Santosh Harish and Navroz K Dubash | 27 January 2020
On Delhi air pollution, the AAP government shouldn’t throw its hands up but formulate a concrete plan.
Bracing for the storm
Navroz K Dubash | 13 January 2020
To tackle climate change, not only does India need to pivot into a low-carbon future, it also needs to step up as a leader of climate-vulnerable countries.