Earth Month 2024

Every year, to raise awareness about environmental concerns and address urgent natural crises, April is designated as the Earth Month. What started as a movement against the consumption of leaded gas in America, and marked a crucial point in raising collective awareness about the harm caused by emissions and automobiles, has now become a global call for action. Read more about the energy and climate concerns that continue to be relevant at a national and global scale.

G20 from a Climate Lens: Analysing Climate Contributions and India’s Standing

July 2023 was the hottest month in recorded history (Scientific American, 2023) For more than a century, the grand state centric narratives refrained from discussion on climate, which was then seen as a part of ‘low politics’. Today, the science in climate change discourse has been replaced by geopolitical stunts in high-profile climate summits. And yet the baulking response of the world to devise actionable policies in the face of this existential crisis is not confounding. Even as record-breaking disasters are being reported, most countries and their populations do not see global warming as causing epic future disruptions.

Coal Dependence, Energy Security, and Human Security in India

This paper investigates India’s increasing dependence on coal to meet its rising
energy consumption. This study examines the current justifications for this trend,
considering how coal is intertwined with India’s politics and economic aspirations.

Can Carbon Markets Decarbonise and Revitalise Agriculture?

Agriculture is a significant employer and contributor to the GDP in India. However, the sector faces a two-fold problem due to climate change and a declining workforce. On the one hand, increased food demand is juxtaposed with a decline in the number of food providers – farmers. On the other hand, agriculture has to face the brunt of, while also exacerbating, climate change.

The Hidden Water Cost of International Trade

India is home to nearly 18% of the world’s population but only holds 4% of the global water resources, making it one of the most water-stressed countries in the world. A country is categorised as ‘water-stressed’ when its annual per-person water availability is less than 1,700 cubic metres. . . The issues of lack of availability and access to quality water are closely related to how the world economy is set up. A closer look at the trade pattern reveals that the international exchange of goods further contributes to water resource imbalance among nations.

Can Green Hydrogen Fuel India’s Clean Energy Transition?

Due to the current global warming and climate change trends, there is a need to shift to cleaner forms of energy. Green hydrogen is a clean and sustainable alternative to other forms of hydrogen fuel. With India’s commitments to scale up on green hydrogen production, use, and export, there is a significant opportunity for the nation to become a leader in the arena of green hydrogen. This paper examines the key challenges and avenues for India to adopt green hydrogen, including infrastructure requirements, financing, and other prerequisites.

Editor's pick curated by Adrita Choudhury