Policy Brief
Discussion Paper: Rural Roads and the SDGs
08 May 2019
| Mr S Vijay Kumar
All the trends and patterns put together in this paper have long-term implications for incomes and new livelihood opportunities not merely for the farm and off-farm sector but also for a range of people who directly or indirectly depend on the rural road network, and constitute new classes of stakeholders in the network, including industry, service sector, those who access local labour markets, primary producers including mining and quarrying; as well as manufacturers of consumer durables and consumer products.
An implementation plan for a kerosene-to-solar subsidy swap
25 Apr 2019
| Mr Martand Shardul
| Ms Bigsna Gill
| Dr Debajit Palit
| Ms Tara Laan
| Mr Balasubramanian Viswanathan
| Mr Chris Beaton
A new report provides a six-step implementation plan for governments to switch kerosene subsidies to solar and ensure clean energy for all
Making Indian Cities Energy Smart
29 Mar 2019
| Ms Riya Rahiman
| Ms Adishree Panda
| UNSW Sydney
Managing the energy footprint of cities is one of the most challenging goals, and with the evolution and transformation of existing cities into smart cities, smart energy management (SEM) becomes an integral component of this urban transformation.
Drought Proofing India: Key Learnings from Bundelkhand Drought Mitigation Package
28 Feb 2019
| Dr J P Mishra, Adviser (Agriculture), NITI Aayog
| Dr Shresth Tayal, Fellow, TERI
Bundelkhand Drought Mitigation Package was implemented by erstwhile Planning Commission and now NITI Aayog in the 13 drought-prone districts of Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh for reducing the adverse impacts of drought to the communities in the region. Bundelkhand package evolved with the consultation workshops held with the local stakeholders organised at village panchayat and district level. These workshops identified the key needs and shortlisted the key areas of interventions as expressed by the stakeholders.
Giving back to affected communities with mining revenues
20 Dec 2018
| Ms Joyita Ghose
District Mineral Foundations present an opportunity to benefit communities bearing the socio-economic, environmental impacts of mining operations
India's ambition is substantial in social, political and environmental terms: Key messages from India's NDC
07 Dec 2018
| Mr Karan Mangotra
India's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) must be seen in a holistic manner, the aim being to achieve sustainable development within the framework of 8 quantitative and qualitative NDCs. India's plan as per its quantified NDC targets is to: lower emissions intensity of its GDP by 33-35% compared to 2005 levels by 2030; increase total cumulative electricity generation from fossil free energy sources to 40% by 2030; create additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tons through additional forest and tree cover. With total annual emissions of 1,884.3 million tons of CO2
'India can manage a progressive transition from coal to renewables'
04 Dec 2018
| Mr Thomas Spencer
| Mr Raghav Pachouri
| Mr G Renjith
| Ms Sachi Vohra
In the coal vs renewables question in India, a more flexible power system can help manage a progressive transition, according to TERI's new discussion paper 'Coal Transition in India'
Aligning India's water resource policies with the SDGs
06 Nov 2018
| Dr Girija K Bharat
| Mr Nathaniel B Dkhar
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries. The SDGs recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change.
Loss and Damage: The Gradual Progression and the Road Ahead
31 Oct 2018
| Ms Kavya Bajaj
Loss and damage, in the context of climate change, is associated with the particular impacts of climate change in developing countries vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, such as sea level rise and extreme weather events. In this article, Kavya Bajaj helps us understand the milestone developments that have taken place in various climate conferences regarding this controversial mechanism.
Making Liveable Cities: Challenges and Way Forward for India
25 Oct 2018
| Ms Raina Singh
| Ms Adishree Panda
| Ms Palak Thakur
More than 40% of India's population is expected to reside in its urban centres by 2050 (UNDESA, 2014). While these rapidly expanding urban centres in India are seen as the engines of economic growth, they also face tremendous pressures on their civic infrastructure systems and issues of environmental degradation, air pollution, and increasing frequency of climate-induced events and disasters. It is, thus, now critical to relook at the ways in which we manage these challenges for enhancing the liveability of cities.