Public engagement
Opinions
Heatwaves are coming. Can India handle it?
Aditya Valiathan Pillai, Tamanna Dalal, Ishan Kukreti
The Indian Express | 25 March 2025
“The risks of the future are likely to be so severe, frequent and interconnected that they will require proactively identifying and tackling risk, girding the system for a state of permanent tumult, and relying on all-of-government coordination. The governance of extreme heat seems to be in that process of transition with commonly seen short-term actions across multiple departments, but limited preparation for the future”. Aditya Valiathan Pillai, Tamanna Dalal, and Ishan Kukreti, write in The Indian Express about our new report that assesses India’s preparedness for extreme heat.
Why action on extreme heat in Indian cities is falling short
Aditya Valiathan Pillai, Tamanna Dalal, Ishan Kukreti et al
Carbon Brief | 19 March 2025
“Adapting to increasing extreme heat will be central to urban living for decades to come. A late start to these efforts will increase pressure on the state in the future and risks exposing citizens to harms from warming that could be avoided.” Aditya V Pillai, Tamanna Dalal, Ishan Kukreti, Alexandra Kassinis, Lucas Vargas Zeppetello, Escandita Tewari, and Navroz Dubash write in Carbon Brief article about our new report that assesses India’s readiness for extreme heat.
Now for a green Bharat abhiyaan
Navroz K Dubash
India Today | 7 January 2025
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 three key domestic priorities for India: Enhance climate resilience in cities/coasts, and plan for adaptation, e.g, in agriculture and water; Build a low carbon economy that creates jobs; Reform governance structures and the legal framework to address climate governance challenges.
In the news
The urgent need to tackle heat stress effects — not just heat — this summer
The Hindu | 8 April 2025
“The short-term rapid response guidelines currently being implemented in various States are inadequate and fail to address the full scope of the challenges posed by extreme heat events, the SFC study noted. These guidelines need to be more comprehensive and better tailored to effectively manage and mitigate the impact of heatwaves and related risks”, Tamanna Dalal was quoted in The Hindu.
Heat action plans need better focus – Explainer
The New Indian Express | 14 April 2025
“What is preventing the Indian government from strengthening and operationalising its HAPs? The SFC report highlighted some barriers that hinder the country from fully implementing effective HAPs: coordination failure, lack of legal mandate, competing priorities, not recognising heat as an issue.” – The New Indian Express quotes our latest report assessing the implementation of heat actions in India.
Too hot to live | WORLD: we got this with Esau Williams
Podfollow | 11 April 2025
“Where countries are very seriously lagging are longer, broader structural changes that can help reduce heat risks. The reason that’s important is we have a situation on our hands where the heat is only going to get worse. So everything we’re discovering now is only getting worse in a 1.5 degree world”, Aditya Valiathan Pillai spoke to Esau Williams in an episode of ‘WORLD: we got this’ on the theme, Too Hot to Live.
‘Reducing aerosol pollution could worsen heat risks — we need policy that can handle both’
Down to Earth | 9 April 2025
“When you add in the impact of increased heat and ozone in the coming decades on various other sectors, including agricultural output, labour productivity, housing concerns and rising demand for cooling, you begin to see that there is no real way to address this problem until we begin to think about climate, energy, air quality and sectoral actions in synergistic ways”, Bhargav Krishna spoke to Down to Earth on the complex and interconnected challenges of reducing India’s air pollution while managing rising heat risks.
Speaking engagements
At ‘India 2047 Building a Climate-Resilient Future’, by the Lakshmi Mittal & Family South Asia Institute, the Salata Institute of Climate & Sustainability, Harvard University, and MOEFCC from 19-22 March 2025, Aditya Valiathan Pillai presented findings from SFC’s report on India’s preparedness for a 1.5°C world, the current status of heat-related actions on the ground, and climate modeling that highlighted cities most vulnerable to the impacts of heat in the coming years. He also moderated two panels – (i) Adaptation Frameworks and (ii) Centering Health and Livelihoods While Planning Adaptation Frameworks.
SFC and Prayas Energy Group co-hosted a roundtable discussion on India’s Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) on March 20. The session delved into key topics, including the scheme’s design, institutional framework, governance structures, target-setting strategies, and the dynamics of demand and supply and ensuring market stability.
We were thrilled to host Kelly Sims Gallagher, Dean and Professor of Energy and Environmental Policy at The Fletcher School at Tufts University and Director, Climate Policy Lab for a lunch conversation on 17 March 2025 with the SFC team on ‘Trump, Tariffs, and Transitions’.
Aman Srivastava attended the Australian Grants Meet and Greet, hosted by the Australian High Commission on 27 February in New Delhi. The event provided a platform to discuss strategic priorities and explore collaboration opportunities in areas such as renewable energy, clean technology, green industrialisation, and more.
At the National Disaster Management Authority’s international workshop on heatwaves 2025, Tamanna Dalal discussed how India can leverage Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSSs) to fund heat action plans. Drawing from her previous work, she highlighted that 16 CSSs are directly linked to heat action solutions, such as creating shade, ensuring water supply, and supporting rainwater harvesting.
