Publications

Shifting Gears Towards Cleaner Air: Modernizing Urban Fleets for a Greener Future in India’s Million-Plus Cities

Policy brief
| April 23, 2025

In response to extreme levels of fine particulate air pollution in India and the increasing recognition of its adverse health impacts, the Indian government launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in January 2019 (Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, 2019). The NCAP aims to improve air quality in 131 cities, including non-attainment cities and Million Plus Cities across 24 states through a multi-stakeholder engagement approach. All 131 cities have developed city Action Plans (CAPs) and are being implemented by Urban Local Bodies.

Pathways for the Indian Steel Sector: Realizing low carbon industrial clusters in eastern India through a place-based approach

Policy brief
| April 17, 2025

There is an increasing realization that effective low carbon growth of our societies requires urgent, broad-scale changes at a systemic level in how we manufacture and consume products. One such area of focus is the production of iron and steel, which among heavy industries is the largest source of CO2 emissions and the second largest energy user, responsible for around 7% of global emissions from the energy system. Iron and steel production is heavily dependent on fossil fuels due to the high heat requirements needed in these processes.

Microbial Innovation for Coalbed Methane: TERI’s Role in Advancing CBM Technology

Article
| April 16, 2025

Coalbed methane (CBM) represents a significant portion of the world’s natural gas reserves, and it has been suggested that up to 20% of the world’s natural gas, including CBM, is microbial in origin. However, the drilling and maintenance of microbial CBM wells are becoming increasingly uneconomical due to the currently low gas prices, growing competition from shale gas production, and the relatively short lifespan of CBM production wells.

Policy Recommendations from WSDS 2025 Thematic Track on Financing critical Mineral Acquisitions – De -Risking Investments & Strengthening Financing Ecosystems

Policy brief
| April 14, 2025

Policy Recommendations from WSDS Thematic Track on Critical MineralsSet up Reprocessing Parks and the Need for Purchasing End-of-Life Waste

Bridging the Gap: The Urgent Need for Enhanced Public Transport in India’s Air Quality Mission

Article
| April 9, 2025

A cornerstone of the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) is that it prioritizes micro-level interventions like improving urban infrastructure, monitoring networks, and sustainable practices. The XIV Finance Commission allocated ₹36,000 crores to support city specific action plans tailored to their challenges. Despite this funding, achieving NCAP’s ambitious targets necessitates tackling a major source to urban air pollution- Road Transport.

Cities Must Address Needs of Children, Women and Persons with Disabilities

Article
| April 1, 2025

As we reflect on the future, it’s a timely reminder of the kind of cities we are building for future generations. The urban spaces we create today will shape the world that future generations inherit, and it is crucial that these spaces are inclusive of all their needs. The rapid growth of cities and urbanization pose significant challenges in various areas of urban development. Vulnerable groups, such as women, children and youth, persons with disabilities, the elderly, the urban poor, informal settlement dwellers, and migrants are disproportionately affected by these challenges.

International Zero Waste Day: Towards zero waste in fashion and textiles

Article
| March 30, 2025

As we observe International Zero Waste Day on March 30, the global spotlight is on the critical need to eliminate waste from one of the most waste intensive and environmentally impactful industry: fashion and textiles. The sector utilizes substantial amount of resources like water, chemicals, energy and in turn generates massive amounts of waste, threatening the overall human and environmental welfare and underscoring the urgency of adopting sustainable and circular practices.

Decarbonization Roadmap for the Indian Cement Sector Net-Zero CO2 by 2070

Policy brief
| March 26, 2025

The cement industry is one of the core industries in India and holds significant importance in the country’s economy. India is the second largest cement producer in the world, accounting for 8% of total installed capacity. The per capita consumption of cement in India is 257 kg, far less than the global average of 540 kg. The sector generates about 20,000 downstream jobs for every million tonne of cement produced.

Spatial variation of biochar production potential from surplus crop residues in India

Research Paper
| March 21, 2025

India faces environmental issues due to large-scale seasonal in situ burning of crop residues, leading to air pollution and nutrient loss. Biochar application can increase soil carbon content, moisture, and nutrient content while reducing air pollution. India produces 156 Mt. of annual in situ surplus crop residues from ten major crops, with the highest potential for rice residue biomass in Sangrur, Punjab. Biochar could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 405 Tg annually and its application to soil could sequester 7.5 Tg of carbon.

GIS and ML-Driven Insights into Forest Vulnerability and Climate Hotspots in Assam, India

Research Paper
| March 21, 2025

This study assesses the impact of regional climate variability on forest vulnerability in Assam using a GIS and Machine Learning (ML)-based approach. A grid-based Forest Vulnerability Index (FVI) was developed using eight key indicators, and climate change hotspots were mapped using temperature and precipitation anomalies. The results revealed that 87 forested grids are highly vulnerable, with significant overlaps between climate hotspots and biodiversity risk zones.