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

    Project Report

    Financing Decarbonization of Indian Secondary Steel Sector: Towards an Enabling Environment

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    urban-heat

    Theme

    HFCs – Enabling efficient refrigerant transitions

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  • climate change video

     

    Research paper

    A Transformative Global Goal on Adaptation: Scope, Science and Policy

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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

    Article

    Urban Flood Analysis and Early Warning Solution for Disaster Resilience

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Projects

Articles

Atmospheric Water Generation – A Sustainable Solution for Bihar’s Water Challenges

Dr Syamal Kumar Sarkar

Atmospheric Water Generators are systems that extract water from moisture present in the air. They work on the principle of condensation — cooling humid air to collect water droplets — which are then filtered, mineralized, and made fit for human consumption.

India’s Green Diplomacy Could Be Its Biggest Soft Power Tool Yet

Dr T P Singh

Natural resource conservation isn’t just an environmental concern; it’s a geopolitical one.

Gloomy Skies, Choked Lungs – An Unseen Battle for Clean Air

Dr Arindam Datta

Air pollution is a complex issue, rooted in everything from urban planning and industrial policy to individual choices and political will.

Climate-Proofing India’s Bioeconomy: Industrial Biotech Responses to Climate-induced Raw Material Shifts

Dr Veeranna Channashettar

India’s bioeconomy touched a remarkable valuation of US$165.7 billion in 2024, reflecting its rising significance in national development.

Why Youth Participation Matters in Climate Action

Around the world, youngsters are voicing dissent against economic, social, and environmental systems that contribute to climate degradation.

India’s New AC Set Point Rule: A Small Tweak with Big Implications

Why a shift from 16°C to 20°C could reshape the nation’s energy future and cooling habits.

Events

Integrating Ethics, Science, and Innovation for Climate Resilience

November 21, 2025
to November 21, 2025

Bringing Together Ethics, Science, and Innovation for Climate Resilience

The Climate-Development Nexus: Equity, Development, and Finance in Net-Zero Pathways

November 18, 2025
to November 18, 2025

As the global community deliberate on accelerating efforts toward achieving net-zero emissions, the intersection of climate action and development priorities has never been more critical. The long-term net-zero targets demand that transition pathways also serve as the desired development pathways for countries, thereby enhancing their economic stability and citizens' well-being. The appropriateness of global and national transition pathways would depend on whether their developmental impacts are equitable across and within countries.

The Missing Link: Aligning Policy and Finance with Emerging Science

November 17, 2025
to November 17, 2025

The decade of 2015-2024 has been confirmed by the World Meteorological Organization as the warmest on record, with 2024 being the first calendar year to record a global mean temperature above 1.5°C above the 1850-1900 average. While, in technical terms, it does not mean that the Paris goal of a long-term temperature target of 1.5 degrees C is unachievable, in strategic and policy terms, it certainly means that the world is officially in the climate crisis, with a real risk of crossing ecological tipping points and disrupting planetary boundaries.

Wisdom for a World at a Crossroads

November 13, 2025
to November 13, 2025

Beyond 2025: A New Climate Multilateralism?

November 11, 2025
to November 11, 2025

Rationale

Over the past 70 years, multilateralism has been the foundation of global stability and collective progress. Yet, as the climate crisis deepens, this model faces unprecedented challenges which include geopolitical fragmentation, eroding trust, and widening implementation gaps.

Financing Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) under RECAP4NDC

November 6, 2025
to November 6, 2025

India has made significant international commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to combat climate change and land degradation. The national goal is to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) by restoring 26 million hectares by 2030, directly contributing to India’s NDC target of sequestering 2.5–3 billion tonnes of 2.5–3 billion tonnes of Carbon Dioxide through enhanced forest and tree cover.

News

India must move beyond tokenism in climate-gender policy: CRF Dialogue

October 19, 2025 |
October 19, 2025
Daily Excelsior

India must shift from checkbox approaches to fully  integrating gender justice into climate policy, speakers said at a dialogue hosted by the Chintan Research Foundation (CRF). Keynote speakers included Ms Kalyani Raj, President of the All India Women's Conference and Dr Mini Govindan, Senior Fellow, TERI.

Climate Change to cost world 25% of GDP per capita by 2100: Study

September 25, 2025 |
September 25, 2025
Hindustan Times

India based The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) organised a national webinar and launched Version 2.0 of the Green Budgeting Toolkit, along with an online portal, to help governments, academia, and civil society systematically integrate environmental concerns into fiscal planning.

China’s climate pledge shows commitment but could have been more ambitious, say experts

September 25, 2025 |
September 25, 2025
News 18

Mr R R Rashmi, Distinguished Fellow, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), expressed measured optimism, highlighting that China’s NDC indicates enhancement of their current goals and a significant change in their strategy.

From Goa to the Nation: Climate Skills Initiative to Empower 500 Youth

September 17, 2025 |
September 17, 2025
Global Agriculture

Young changemakers gathered today for the launch of the regional workshop under "Climate Skills – Seeds for a Transition India," an initiative to equip youth with the knowledge and tools to lead climate action. The two-day workshop, organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and its academic arm TERI School of Advanced Studies (T-SAS), in collaboration with Vishwa Yuvak Kendra and aims to sensiize and empower 500 young people nationwide on local climate issues, sustainable practices, adaptation mechanisms, and grassroots solutions.

Justice in climate cooperation: Restoring common but differentiated duties

September 15, 2025
| Mr Nitin Desai, TERI
| Business Standard

Effective climate action requires the restoration of common but differentiated responsibilities, based on differences in per capita emission rates, writes Mr Nitin Desai, Chairman, TERI.

Climate change and pollution: India faces a dual challenge, say experts

September 11, 2025 |
September 11, 2025
Mint

During the Mint Sustainability Summit 2025 Ms Suruchi Bhadwal, Director, climate change and air quality, The Energy and Resources Institute stated that out of 30 cities most polluted in the world, 21 cities are in India. We are living in cities that are highly polluted, with impacts we may not even realize because we breathe the air in and out.

Policy

ENHANCING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BLENDED FINANCE FOR CLIMATE ACTION IN INDIA

June 30, 2025

Mobilizing private finance for climate action has become a central concern in both global and national finance agendas, particularly as public funding alone is insufficient to meet the growing investment needs for mitigation and adaptation. Blended finance—defined as the strategic use of public or concessional capital to attract private investment—has emerged as a promising tool to bridge this financing gap.

Assessing the Economic Viability and Environmental Benefits of Treating Market Waste Using Anaerobic Digestion: A Case Study of Koyambedu Market in Chennai, India

June 27, 2025

There is significant potential to increase waste diversion in India, which can extend the lifespan of disposal sites, advance a circular economy, reduce emissions, and improve air quality and public health.

Financing Just Transition: Synergies between NCQG and JTWP

November 18, 2024

The discussions and negotiations for the JTWP and the NCQG so far reflect the broader challenge of aligning global ambitions with practical actionable steps towards equitable climate action. Looking ahead, the JTWP has the potential to be a framework for deeper, more effective collaboration towards a collective narrative around implementing the Paris Agreement through just transition pathways at global as well as national scales, leading to tangible progress towards a sustainable and equitable future. This potential cannot be realized without a commensurate outcome of the NCQG process.

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.

Team

Distinguished Fellow, Earth Science and Climate Change
Distinguished Fellow, Earth Science and Climate Change
Distinguished Fellow, Green Shipping
Director, Climate Change and Air Quality
Associate Director, Earth Science and Climate Change
Area Convenor, Center for Climate Change Research
Fellow and Area Convenor, Centre for Climate Modelling