Policy Briefs/Reports

Linking Carbon Markets: A case study of India's PAT and REC Schemes

31 Jul 2018
| Ms Tamiksha Singh
| Mr Karan Mangotra
| Swati Agarwal

Following the enactment of the Paris Agreement, the carbon markets in national and international spheres are poised for revival. Although the global carbon market dependent on the Kyoto Protocol have nearly collapsed, many voluntary or national carbon markets are still functioning in several countries under relevant regulations or voluntary arrangements. These include markets and trading systems such as Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) and Perform Achieve and Trade (PAT) in India. One of the key questions emerging from the Paris Agreement is how such existing markets are to be integrated with the cooperative mechanisms to be evolved under Article 6 of the Agreement.

Market-based approaches of the Paris agreement: Where are we now?

31 Jul 2018
| Ms Kavya Bajaj

Article 6 of the Paris Agreement (PA) focuses on a framework for countries to voluntarily cooperate using market and non-market based approaches to raise climate ambition. In the process there is also recognition of the need to establish an emissions accounting framework that will promote sustainable development, and environmental integrity.

Estimating vehicular emissions from auto rickshaw plying in Bengaluru

11 Jul 2018
| Ms Palak Thakur
| Ms Sugandha Pal
| Mr Jai Kishan Malik

The growing vehicular pollution has caused serious health hazard in Indian metropolitan cities, Bengaluru being one of the major victims. There are various reasons accounting for the vehicular emissions. The objective of this research paper is to estimate the vehicular emissions in form of carbon dioxide (CO2), particulate matter 10 (PM10) and nitrogen oxide (NOX) emitted by the auto rickshaws plying in Bengaluru city and recommend policy based solution based upon the estimated alternative scenarios.

Understanding vulnerabilities using a hotspot approach

04 May 2018
| Ms Suruchi Bhadwal
| Mr Ganesh Gorti
| Amir Bazaz
| Prathigna Poonacha
| Tuhin Ghosh
| Ramkumar Bendapudi

Study shows higher temperature increase in India's mountains affects agriculture, water resources and the millions of people living in the mountains and its foothills

Improving air conditioners in India

26 Apr 2018
| Mr Karan Mangotra
| Swati Agarwal
| Alex Hillbrand
| Sameer Kwatra
| Bhaskar Deol
| Amartya Awasthi
| Anjali Jaiswal
| Stephen O. Andersen
| Nancy J. Sherman
| Durwood Zaelke

Most modern ACs in India already use climate friendly gases, but increasing their energy efficiency will further boost carbon reduction

Minimum Support Price of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) and Its Sustainable Harvest: A Social Safety Measure for MFP Collectors in India

15 Feb 2018
| Dr Jitendra Vir Sharma
| Dr Yogesh Gokhale
| Mr Nishant Jain
| Mr Yatish A Lele
| Ms Aparna Tyagi

Forests in India are treated primarily as social and environmental resource, and only secondarily, as commercial resource. More than 300 million people derive full or partial livelihood and sustenance need from forests. Many a times, communities are compelled to harvest forest produce unsustainably due to lack of adequate finance to meet their day to day life supporting needs. With such large population dependent on forest resources, the minor forest produce (MFP) sector is India’s largest unorganized sector.

Measures to Control Air Pollution in Urban Centres of India: Policy and Institutional framework

09 Feb 2018
| Dr Sumit Sharma
| Mr Jai Kishan Malik
| Ms Sangeetha Ann Wilson
| Ms Meena Sehgal
| Dr Sachin Kumar
| Mr Sunil Dhingra
| Dr Suneel Pandey
| Dr Anju Goel
| Dr Hina Zia
| Ms Ilika Mohan
| Dr Atul Kumar
| Ms Akshima Tejas Ghate

Background and Objective Many Indian cities including New Delhi are included in the list of most polluted cities in the world (WHO 2014, Cheng et al. 2016). About 80 per cent of cities in India violate the prescribed standards of ambient air quality (CPCB 2014). Multiple sources contribute to the problem and, hence, sector-specific strategies are required for control of air quality. This policy brief aims to analyse the whole issue in terms of key drivers, such as rapid urbanization, transportation, industrialization, power generation, and agricultural activities, that subsequently lead to air pollution at different scales in India.

Persistent organic pollutants in Indian environment: a wake-up call for concerted action

11 Jan 2018
| Dr Girija K Bharat

India has a comprehensive apparatus of environmental laws. However, the lack of an integrated approach to the regulation of chemicals, poor management of pollution, and the fundamentally retrospective vision have resulted in ineffective implementation of the laws as demonstrated by the example of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the environment.

Heat Island Effect in an Industrial Cluster - Identification, Mitigation and Adaptation

24 Nov 2017
| Dr Prasoon Singh

The Ib-Valley region of Odisha is a rapidly growing industrial hub with a range of large industries as well as coal mining. The study seeks to assess the heat island effect in this region, which could be attributable to anthropogenic activities. This briefing paper outlines the Heat Island mitigation and adaptation strategies based on the study conducted in this region. Thermal hotspots have been identified using approaches such as remote sensing based Land Surface Temperature (LST) modelling and field survey based ambient temperature and humidity monitoring.