Climate Change

In the post-Paris agreement era, accelerating climate action is the biggest hope to ensure a safe future for all. In India, our work focuses on climate modelling to develop a better understanding of climate variability at regional scales. We study the risks and vulnerabilities of key sectors such as water, health, agriculture and industry. Our work in climate science is inextricably linked to policy research and recommendations for the Indian government to shape its domestic policies, as well as contribute to its position in global negotiations. Through a number of initiatives, we are beginning to extend our knowledge and research in climate science and policy to other emerging economies.

climate

NEW IN CLIMATE

  • Financing

    Report

    Financing Low Carbon Transition in India's MSME Sector

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  •  
    urban-heat

    Theme

    HFCs – Enabling efficient refrigerant transitions

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  • climate change video
     

    Explainer

    A primer on climate change, its impacts, actions and assessments

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  • climate

    Policy Brief

    Mobile Air Conditioning (MAC): A technology landscape, challenges and opportunities for sustainable cooling

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  • Adaptation future

    Report

    Locked houses, Fallow lands: Climate Change and Migration in Uttarakhand, India

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Projects

Articles

Dr Vibha Dhawan meets heads of governments of Japan and Guyana

Director General brings focus on TERI’s multiple initiatives during visits to Japan, Guyana and the United States

TERI director general Dr Vibha Dhawan met heads of government of Japan and Guyana, and the Indian Ambassador to the United States of America (USA) in the month of October.

Brahmapuram Landfill Fire: Points towards the Need for Decentralized Waste Management

In this article, Sharada Balasubramanian highlights that a series of flames have been breaking out, year after year, at the Brahmapuram landfill in Kerala. Yet, it was not taken seriously. This year, the massive uncontrollable fire breakout urged the Kochi Corporation to take serious steps to resolve this issue as it impacted the health of people and the environment. Brahmapuram is the only landfill that is a bone of contention in Kerala, where solid waste management, otherwise is decentralized and systematic.

Mainstreaming Climate-Resilient Water and Sanitation Infrastructure For Long Lasting Impacts

Ms Manisha Jain

In this article, Manisha Jain and Dr Kriti Akansha highlight that it is necessary to support long-term thinking, transformation, flexibility and innovation while taking the associated climate risks into consideration to attain climate resilience. There is a need for a robust framework that ensures climate policies are integrated into all sectors and that planning, implementation, and evaluation are strictly followed.

Climate Actions for Businesses

How Big Should These Be?

When we talk and act on climate action and the energy transition in emerging economies, the discussion can range from topics such as climate mitigation, adaptation, energy transition, financing, and business model innovation to next-generation technologies.

COP27: Climate Chaos and Warfare for People and the Planet

COP27 took place in November 2022 in the Egyptian coastal city of Sharm el-Sheikh. The Conference concluded with a historic decision to establish and operationalize a loss and damage fund. Dr Anil Pratap Singh takes us through the highlights of this important climate conference and concludes that at COP27, unrelenting deliberations took place on setting the needs and priorities of the Parties; thereby resolute implementation plans for the future were developed during the deliberations.

Events

World Sustainable Development Summit 2024

February 7, 2024
to February 9, 2024

 7-9 February 2024 | New Delhi

COP28 Side Event | Just Energy Transitions and SDGs: Tools and Enablers

December 5, 2023
to December 5, 2023

Energy transition is key to meeting the Paris Agreement temperature goals. Energy contributes the largest share to net global greenhouse gas emissions when considering both supply and demand sectors. According to the IPCC, CO2 from fossil fuels and industry accounted for 64% of the share of global net anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases in 2019.

SDG Blueprint for Sustainable Agriculture: Second Expert Consultation (26th September)

November 26, 2023
to November 26, 2023

The project SDG Blueprint for Sustainable Agriculture conducted five expert consultations to seek insights into the interlinkages between the SDGs and sustainable agriculture at the policy interface at the national level in India.

The consultations witnessed the participation of 123 experts hailing from diverse backgrounds including government, think tanks, international organizations, businesses, and academics.

The first expert consultation took place on 26th September 2023 and covered SDG 1, SDG 3, SDG 4, SDG 5 and SDG 10.

SDG Blueprint for Sustainable Agriculture: First Expert Consultation (22nd September)

November 22, 2023
to November 22, 2023

The project SDG Blueprint for Sustainable Agriculture conducted five expert consultations to seek insights into the interlinkages between the SDGs and sustainable agriculture at the policy interface at the national level in India.

The consultations witnessed the participation of 123 experts hailing from diverse backgrounds including government, think tanks, international organizations, businesses, and academics.

The first expert consultation took place on 22nd September 2023 and covered SDG 7, SDG 13, and SDG 14.

Act4Earth National Dialogue: Road to Dubai: From G20 to COP28

November 7, 2023
to November 7, 2023

 Date: 7th November 2023 (Tuesday) | Time: 10.00 AM – 1.00 PM (IST) | Venue: Marigold Hall, India Habitat Centre

About Act4Earth

News

Decarbonizing the built environment: COP28 and cement’s challenge

November 24, 2023
| Ms Sheen Pandita
| The Financial Express

India's position as the world's second-largest cement producer, closely trailing China, merits attention. It boasts a emission intensity of 0.627 tCO2/ton for cement, a figure that, while only marginally lower than the global average, sharply contrasts with the notably higher values of 0.781 in the United States and 0.739 in the United Kingdom, says Ms Sheen Pandita, Project Associate, Sustainable Buildings Division, TERI.

COP28 will be more decisive on climate change issues

November 19, 2023 |
November 19, 2023
Bloomberg

The conference will focus on issues like greenhouse emissions, loss and damage funds, climate finance, and health security and address other issues like CBAM says Ms Suruchi Bhadwal, Director, TERI.

Heat on UAE to give COP28 ambitious edge we need

October 23, 2023
| Mr R R Rashmi
| 360info.org

The UAE, as holder of the COP presidency, will have to deal with four other major tasks: getting agreements on the Global Stocktake of climate action; building consensus on Global Goal on Adaptation; setting up the Loss and Damage Fund; and advancing climate finance commitments beyond 2025 says Mr RR Rashmi, Distinguished Fellow, Resource Efficiency and Governance Division, TERI.

Ahead of COP28 Summit, experts discuss plan to bridge Rs 16 tln gap in MSME sustainable finance

October 20, 2023 |
October 20, 2023
The Economic Times

TERI has launched the Expert Group on financing MSMEs for Long Term Low Carbon Development Strategy in association with Bloomberg Philanthropies, said Dr Manish Kumar Shrivastava, Associate Director, TERI.

Loss and Damage Fund talks deadlocked before COP28 as rich nations push for World Bank control

October 19, 2023 |
October 19, 2023
The Print

Private sector capital can be leveraged and other multilateral financial institutions can be asked to contribute to the Fund if it’s operated by the World Bank as a facility. The World Bank facility will offer loans rather than grants. This could lead to countries accumulating debt, said Mr R R Rashmi, former lead climate negotiator and Distinguished Fellow at TERI.

Climate lessons from G20 for Dubai COP28

October 16, 2023
| Mr R R Rashmi
| The Hindustan Times

At COP28, the UAE will have to ensure that these issues of immediate importance are not lost at the altar of future transition says Mr RR Rashmi, Distinguished Fellow, Resource Efficiency & Governance Division, TERI.

Policy

Just Energy Transition Partnerships, Climate Action, and Minilateralism

November 24, 2023

Transitioning towards clean energy and renewable sources is a significant measure to restrict Greenhouse Gas emissions and meet the climate goals set out in the Paris Agreement. Upcoming minilateral mechanisms, especially partnerships such as JETPs, despite setting ambitious targets have little to offer on recognizing the specific needs of the Global South to support sustainable energy transitions.

Road to Dubai and the Global Goal on Adaptation

November 24, 2023

IPCC's definition of adaptation emphasizes on human and natural systems rather than countries. A paradigm shift is needed in the climate regime regarding adaptation including not viewing vulnerability as only a country – centric approach. Instead, identifying vulnerability hotspots supplemented by formulating people-centric and nature-centric approaches in climate negotiations is need of the hour.

Oceans-Climate Interface: Implications For Global Commons Based Climate Action

January 3, 2023

The High Seas or the Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ), are a global common, which covers about two-thirds of the ocean surface and more than 90% of its volume and contains rich biodiversity of marine life. Oceans are the largest known carbon sink in the world.

Internationalizing Lifestyles For Environment: Messages For G20

January 3, 2023

Sustainable consumption and lifestyles must be seen from the perspective of resource value chains that include resource extraction, manufacturing, processing, use by consumer, and disposal. Mainstream frameworks on sustainable consumption and production focus more on upstream and mid-stream components, such as resource efficiency and circular economy.

Road to Sharm El-Sheikh: Towards Equity and Climate Justice

November 7, 2022

Egypt will host the 27th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh from 6th -18th November 2022. The COP27 Presidency lays out the vision for inclusive, rules-based, ambitious, substantive outcomes, commensurate with the challenges based on science and guided by principles building on agreements, decisions, pledges, and commitments from Rio 1992 to Glasgow 2021.

Joint Crediting Mechanism and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement: Strengthening Japan-India Technology Collaboration

July 1, 2022

Under the ambit of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, this issue brief explores the potential of a Japan –India partnership and examines the opportunities for shaping mutual ties through the Joint Crediting Mechanism.

Services

Climate change risk assessment

We generate climate projections at global and regional scales and impacts, vulnerability and adaptation assessments in key sectors using established models and our in-house super-computing facility. We also conducts GHG inventorization and mitigation analysis. We provide national and international policy analysis and review, and contribute to key issues in negotiations encompassing adaptation, mitigation, technology, and finance.

Distinguished Fellow, Earth Science and Climate Change
Distinguished Fellow, Earth Science and Climate Change
Distinguished Fellow and Programme Director, Earth Science and Climate Change
Director, Earth Science and Climate Change
Associate Director, Earth Science and Climate Change
Area Convenor, Center for Climate Change Research