15 October, 2018The simple economics of clean air
One of the main reasons why north-western India chokes on smog every November is the burning of residue from the rice crop by farmers. In this article, Somanathan and Gupta contend that public auctio...
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Ridhima Gupta E. Somanathan 
01 December, 2017
- Perspectives
Temperature and human capital in India
A large proportion of the population in India has agrarian livelihoods that remain climate-exposed. The number of hot days per year in the country are expected to double by the end of this century. T...
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Teevrat Garg Maulik Jagnani Vis Taraz
- 26 March, 2018
- Articles
Understanding India’s energy and emissions future
India is an important player in global climate change mitigation, and it is crucial to understand its energy and emissions future. Projections for India’s 2030 CO2 emissions from energy range from 9...
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Ankit Bhardwaj Navroz K. Dubash Radhika Khosla
- 04 September, 2018
- Articles
Making the best out of waste
Given rapid urbanisation and the increasing amounts of solid waste generated in India cities, there is a pressing need for effective waste management processes. In this article, Sourabh Bhattacharjee...
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Sourabh Bhattacharjee Ujjwal Kumar Sinha
- 22 April, 2015
- Notes
Can solar micro-grids deliver basic electricity access in Indian villages?
About one-third of India´s population remains without access to basic electricity services. This column discusses preliminary lessons from an experiment in rural Uttar Pradesh that seeks to set up s...
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Michaёl Aklin Patrick Bayer S.P. Harish Johannes Urpelainen
- 17 April, 2015
- Articles
Harnessing India's wind power potential
While India’s wind power sector has progressed significantly in the past decade, only about 22% of its potential has been harnessed so far. In this article, Deepthi Swamy - who was part of a team t...
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Deepthi Swamy
- 09 March, 2015
- Notes
Solar power for street vendors? Lessons from an experiment in Bihar
Rapid urbanisation in developing countries is aggravating the issue of insufficient access to energy for basic needs such as lighting. This column discusses lessons from an experiment in Bihar wherei...
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David Szakonyi Johannes Urpelainen
- 06 February, 2015
- Articles
Creating the climate for India's low-carbon growth story
The ‘Expert Group on Low Carbon Strategies for Inclusive Growth’ recently laid out a detailed roadmap for India to take on climate change mitigation proactively. In this note, Varad Pande – a m...
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Varad Pande
- 28 July, 2014
- Notes
Pricey diesel
India was recently ranked 174th out of 178 countries, on air pollution. A key contributing factor is diesel vehicles. This column shows that diesel subsidies benefit the rich more than the poor, and ...
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E. Somanathan
- 31 March, 2014
- Articles
Can a clean energy agenda take off in Delhi?
Energy transition in cities, through energy conservation measures and increased reliance on renewable energy, has become a key focus of climate change policies. This column outlines the clean energy ...
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Marie Helene Zerah
- 19 March, 2014
- Articles
Deforestation in the Himalayas: Myths and reality
It is widely believed that the extent of deforestation in developing countries is large and growing over time, and that this has significant adverse effects on local livelihoods. This column presents...
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Jean-Marie Baland Dilip Mookherjee
- 10 March, 2014
- Articles
Proposing a solution for Indo-US 'solar wars'
India’s national solar programme mandates the use of domestically manufactured components in solar power installations in the country. The US has filed a WTO case against India, alleging that the p...
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Saptak Ghosh
- 28 February, 2014
- Articles
Four changes to trade rules to facilitate climate change action
Global climate cooperation has collapsed but the need for action has not disappeared. This column argues that only radical technological progress can reconcile climate-change goals with development. ...
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Aaditya Mattoo Arvind Subramanian
- 24 January, 2014
- Articles
Running out of water, walking away from farming
Groundwater tables are falling in India. What will happen when water actually runs out? This column analyses the impact of water scarcity on farmers in Gujarat. It finds that farmers are failing to or...
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Ram Fishman
- 18 December, 2013
- Articles
In pursuit of low-carbon electricity
The policy debate on low-carbon energy often tends to focus solely on setting targets. This column argues that the State’s capacity to meet targets and the strategies followed to build the required ...
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Ashwini Kumar Swain
- 06 September, 2013
- Articles
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Tweets by Ideas4IndiaMost Popular Environment Posts
Happy Seeder: A solution to agricultural fires in north India
It is believed that much of the pollution in Delhi in November every year originates in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana where farmers burn their fields to dispose of crop residue. This ...
- Ridhima Gupta E. Somanathan
- 12 November, 2016
- Articles
Ganga pollution cases: Impact on infant mortality
In response to a writ petition against pollution of the river Ganga due to industrial waste, the Supreme Court of India in 1987 mandated the tanneries in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh to either clean up or sh...
- Shareen Joshi
- 26 February, 2016
- Articles
Nobel laureate William Nordhaus’ ideas for India
William Nordhaus has won a share of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Economics for his contribution to climate economics. In this post, Dean Spears discusses Nordhaus’ work and its implications for India. He...
- Dean Spears
- 15 October, 2018
- Perspectives