Columns - English

  • Climate change: India pulled off a coup at Kigali; here’s how

    PUBLISHED IN:
    Financial Express

    One of the reasons that make the recently-concluded climate conference in Kigali, Rwanda, notable is that 197 countries came together and signed the first legally-binding climate treaty of the 21st century. At the 28th Meeting of Parties of the Montreal Protocol, countries agreed to adopt an amendment of the Protocol [...]

  • Only decontrol can solve urea industry’s problems

    PUBLISHED IN:
    Financial Express

    The government's urea pricing policy effectively disincentivises any investment by the industry in environmental protection.

  • The Paris Agreement and what is wrong with the current framework

    PUBLISHED IN:
    Financial Express

    The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) completed 25 years of its adoption in 2017. But there were little celebrations. An exhibition titled Richard Kinley Gallery at UNFCCC’s headquarters was the only reminder of the occasion. But there are many things to remember in 2017. It was the [...]

  • Water management: Here’s how most cities in India can meet domestic needs

    PUBLISHED IN:
    Financial Express

    Singapore is the world’s foremost city in rainwater harvesting. It gets abundant rainfall, about 2400 mm/year, but has very small landmass to harvest rainwater.

  • The ‘historic’ Paris agreement

    PUBLISHED IN:
    Financial Express

    The world has given its assent to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Countries used words such as ‘strong’ ‘durable’, ‘dynamic’ to describe the agreement. India hailed the adoption as a “historic day” which promised a “better future” and created a “chapter of hope” in the lives of 7 billion [...]

  • Heatwaves to become more intense, declare it a natural disaster

    PUBLISHED IN:
    Financial Express

    Bihar alone is not suffering because of searing temperatures. Over the past month, parts of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Telangana, and Maharashtra have witnessed record temperatures.

  • Junk food must carry warning labels

    PUBLISHED IN:
    Financial Express

    It is in the interest of the consumers, the food industry and the nation that the dangers of junk food are disclosed and widely disseminated

  • Prioritise action on air pollution

    PUBLISHED IN:
    Financial Express

    India produces about 60 million tonnes of waste annually, of which only about 25 per cent is processed, and the rest is dumped or burned in open areas.

  • India needs national and state missions to modernise the brick sector

    PUBLISHED IN:
    Financial Express

    Demand-side regulations like mandating a certain percentage of building materials from fly ash in the building by-laws of cities could go a long way in increasing the utilisation of fly ash.

  • Junk the term climate change, replace it with one that recognises impending catastrophe

    PUBLISHED IN:
    Financial Express

    Scotland has already declared a climate emergency and is setting targets to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions to net-zero by 2045.

  • No bricks in the wall

    PUBLISHED IN:
    Financial Express

    The recent draft notification on utilisation of fly ash for making bricks is poorly designed and, if implemented, will shut down the construction industry.

  • Why environmental issues are non-existent in this election

    PUBLISHED IN:
    Financial Express

    On climate change, the Congress has used all the right words and promised an action agenda to combat global warming. The BJP, on the other hand, is largely silent on the issue of climate change apart from the promise of achieving the goal of 175 GW renewable energy by 2022.