Sustainable Futures Collaborative

“Politicians should acknowledge that this cannot be solved with quick fixes like #smog towers, they need to develop a 5-year strategy to equip regulators with technical expertise to reduce the impact of the most toxic sources and chart progress with sound science”. Bhargav Krishna talks to Hindustan Times. Read more below:

Navroz K. Dubash’s new paper in Economic and Political Weekly argues that development in India, without addressing #climatechange, is no longer viable. The debate has shifted from if to how to integrate climate into development. https://lnkd.in/gKeytm8j Dubash explores this shift in political discourse, examines top-down climate planning, sectoral initiatives, and what mainstreaming climate change might mean for the Indian state. He writes that while domestication of climate policy is necessary, it must be done thoughtfully, engaging with the complexity of the development-climate interaction and avoiding simple binaries. The paper is part of the special issue, ‘Review of Environment and Development’, edited by Sharachchandra Lele and Geetanjoy Sahu.

In her latest paper for Economic and Political Weekly, Shibani Ghosh draws on an in-depth review of India’s pollution control boards to examine why these front-line regulators have struggled to curb air and water pollution. Recent amendments to the Water and Air Acts – introducing monetary penalties, limiting criminal prosecution, and making key changes to the regulatory framework – are designed to facilitate ease of doing business. However, Ghosh writes prioritising business ease over comprehensive regulatory reform is unfortunate and myopic, and whether these recent amendments will reduce pollution is still unclear, as many systemic issues remain unaddressed. https://lnkd.in/gCfFqMFV The paper is part of the special issue, ‘Review of Environment and Development’, edited by Sharachchandra Lele and Geetanjoy Sahu.

Navroz K. Dubash, writing on climate change in India Today 's 'India @ 2025' special issue, argues for keeping the pressure on developed countries for emissions reductions and finance but also suggests 3 key domestic priorities for India: 1. Enhance climate resilience in cities/coasts, and plan for adaptation, e.g. in agriculture and water; 2. Build a low-carbon economy that creates jobs; 3. Reform governance structures and the legal framework to address climate governance challenges. For full pdf: https://lnkd.in/gW_54p8W

Our latest quarterly newsletter is out! https://lnkd.in/gbvXcZ39 Read it for a quick recap of our work in 2024, our joint report with DIW Berlin - German Institute for Economic Research on the challenges of renewable energy deployment in India, article in Climate Policy Journal on the opportunities and complexities of a socio-economically sensitive net-zero transition, blog decoding the NCQG outcome at COP29, and more.

Navroz K. Dubash, writing on climate change in India Today’s 'India @ 2025' special issue, argues for keeping the pressure on developed countries for emissions reductions and finance but also suggests 3 key domestic priorities for India: 1. Enhance climate resilience in cities/coasts, and plan for adaptation, e.g. in agriculture and water; 2. Build a low-carbon economy that creates jobs; 3. Reform governance structures and the legal framework to address climate governance challenges. https://t.co/AB5StZbUOg

SFC is now on Instagram! https://lnkd.in/gqnjwFxk Follow us for insights into the work of our young & emerging team of researchers on #climatepolicy, #airpollution, #adaptation and resilience, and #energy transitions.

We asked the SFC team what they enjoyed working on most in 2024, and their answers ranged from setting up and decorating our new office, to exploring Mumbai's local trains for fieldwork, to researching “crazy” attempts to geoengineer the weather. Watch our brief recap of 2024! Featuring Bhargav Krishna, Ashwini K Swain, Tamanna Dalal, Ishan Kukreti, Annanya Mahajan, Ishita Srivastava, Aman Srivastava, Catherine Ayallore, Arunesh K.

2024 has been an exciting year for SFC! We launched with a bold vision: to address India’s climate and environmental challenges by rethinking science, policy, governance, and institutions. Here’s a quick recap of what we’ve done and achieved this year. Our launch: - In March, we officially launched SFC in New Delhi with over 250 people in attendance. NK Singh (Chair of the 15th Finance Commission) gave an inaugural lecture, followed by an expert panel debating ways to lay the groundwork for India’s sustainable future. https://lnkd.in/gqcyGkEq - We launched our website www.sustainablefutures.org, a logo and identity, and our perspectives on our four research areas - Adaptation and Resilience, Climate Policy, Energy Transitions, and Environmental Governance and Policy. https://lnkd.in/gVUda8ZF - We expanded to a team of 21 intellectually driven and socially committed individuals. Experts from various disciplines and sectors joined our Advisory Council to guide our research and outreach. https://bit.ly/3PdRpZM - We released our first Annual Report! https://bit.ly/49Rxg4W Key research and engagement: - Partnered with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and civil society organisations to develop a national heat preparedness framework focusing on decentralised, local solutions. - Published a study in The Lancet Planetary Health on the link between air pollution and mortality in 10 Indian cities. https://bit.ly/3zBXdHE - Organised a webinar on the key issues in climate finance negotiations at COP 29 with global experts, and released an issue brief on the topic. https://bit.ly/4fzgWat - Wrote on the need for a climate law tailored to India’s unique context, proposing an institutional framework to operationalise it. https://bit.ly/4gR0tiR - Participated in NITI Aayog’s Working Groups exploring pathways to India’s net zero transition by 2070 (macroeconomics and finance) Global and local collaborations: - We participated in and contributed to several key events and discussions, including the What Works Climate Solutions Summit in Berlin, the Heat Rising Convening at Azim Premji University, and the Just Transition Dialogues at Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. - We collaborated with leading organisations and institutions such as Asar, WRI India, Prayas (Energy Group), Pune, Harvard University, Karolinska Institutet, Brown University, The Fletcher School at Tufts University, Young India Fellowship at Ashoka University to strengthen our research and advocacy efforts. We look forward to building on this work and engaging with you in the year ahead!

Caleb Dresser MD MPH, Director of Healthcare Solutions and Faculty, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health collaborated with Aditya Valiathan Pillai and Bhargav Krishna, Convenors of Sustainable Futures Collaborative to assess how heat affects emergency care systems and identify policy approaches to strengthen health security against climate challenges. Building on research supported by the Mittal Institute India office through a faculty grant, the findings of the project aim to guide adaptation strategies for Indian healthcare in a rapidly warming world. On November 29th, healthcare professionals and public health experts convened virtually to discuss the research findings. The roundtable examined the rising impact of extreme heat exposure, including reports from Indian health professionals of increased healthcare utilization and cases of heat-related illness ranging from heat stroke to dehydration, emphasizing the critical link between health outcomes, cooling access, and water security. The speakers called for integrating climate change into medical curricula, forming climate-focused hospital subcommittees, and ensuring sustainable water access. Read more about it here: https://lnkd.in/gjNm83Uy Image 1: Attendees at the workshop on heat and healthcare in India Image 2: Where were survey respondents located Image 3: How did patients with heat-related medical problems present clinically