Reports

Since the Green Revolution, which kicked off in the 1960s as a response to India’s low agricultural productivity and need to import food, the nation has relied on Urea to provide the nitrogen necessary for higher crop yields and food security.  But this reliance has come at a cost to the economy and the environment.

Urea use has a significant role in three major environmental challenges: nitrogen pollution, ozone layer depletion and climate change.

The report- Just Transition Just Finance- has been developed recognizing the need for an empirical basis to determine the cost of just energy transition, which can help countries to develop just transition plans, make necessary investments and foster global partnerships for securing finances. The report introduces an approach to estimate the cost of a just energy transition at the sub-national and national levels. The methodology can also be tailored to estimate transition costs for a coal mine or a power plant. It also outlines a broad spectrum of investments, including grants and subsidies, necessary to decommission and repurpose coal mines and power plants, supply green energy alternatives, promote economic diversity, assist workers and businesses, and strengthen community resilience.

Geoengineering refers to a suite of technological interventions aimed at slowing or halting some of the effects of climate change. Two of the major kinds of geoengineering that are at present gaining traction rapidly are Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR). SRM approaches focus on deliberately cooling the planet by reflecting a small amount of sunlight to space or by allowing more of Earth’s infrared radiation is to escape to space. SRM methods include utilizing mirrors in space to reflect sunlight (Space Based Reflectors), increasing the reflectivity of land or ocean surfaces (surface albedo), increasing the reflectivity of marine clouds (Marine Cloud Brightening), and increasing the reflectivity of the stratospheric aerosol layer via Stratospheric Aerosol Injection of SAI.

A Just Transition from coal dependence encompasses technological transition with social, economic, and institutional transformation. This study attempts to identify cost factors for each component based on a suitable denominator – the capacity of decommissioned thermal power plant (TPP), reduced coal production, affected worker or affected population.

For India to meet its net zero target by 2070 and energy independence goal by 2047, a framework of just transition at the national and state levels is essential. The framework(s) will guide strategic pathways and implementation mechanisms to achieve net-positive environmental, social and economic outcomes in a timebound manner and through the cooperation of all stakeholders.

The report evaluates the status of regulations on SUPs and their implementation across the 36 states and UTs of India between 2016 to 2019 to understand gaps and challenges in their design and implementation. It is important to note that these analyses were conducted, well before the current SUP ban was announced. Thus, while some of the lessons in the report may be used to design any future plastic legislation, it is not a commentary on the SUP ban of 1 July 2022.

The report presents the status of data and research, and the capacities of research institutions on marine plastic litter in India. The literature review was carried out to assess the availability of data on marine litter in four different fates, as recognised under the SDG Target 14.1: on beaches or shorelines (beach litter), floating on the water or in the water column, on the seafloor/seabed, and ingested by biota (e.g., sea birds). Research institutions were surveyed and studied to understand their geographical presence, focus research areas and engagement, and their capacity to conduct research on marine litter.

This policy brief on reducing marine plastic pollution from land-based sources, focuses on the current state of knowledge and institutional capacity on marine plastic litter and the strategies to reduce marine litter by developing a comprehensive approach to reduce the demand and usage of SUPs. This is the first step to develop an integrated approach to reduce marine plastic litter.

The report offers an in-depth evaluation of laws and regulations pertaining to environmental, land and labour aspects of the coal sector, which have salience for a just transition. It also looks into the challenges and limitations of the existing laws and regulatory mechanisms and outlines necessary reforms to support an environmentally and socially responsible transition, which is also timebound.

India’s coal fleet is fast ageing. About one-fifth of the current capacity is primed for decommissioning as their average age is more than 35 years. If the Ministry of Power’s advisory to retire coal-based generation units of more than 25 years old is implemented, then as much as 50-60 GW capacity will retire in the coming ten years. But is India prepared to decommission such large capacities under a just transition framework, ensuring fair and inclusive outcomes for the environment, labour and community?

The report emphasizes solutions and implementation models, based on comprehensive research across five mining districts (i.e Chatra, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh, Ramgarh, West Singhbhum) of Jharkhand to establish DRE integration as an essential focus area under various priority spending areas of the District Mineral Foundation (DMF), including health, nutrition, education, and livelihood. DRE applications have already been playing a pivotal role in bridging the energy access gap in Jharkhand, and DMF can play an essential role in expanding its reach, effectiveness, adoption, and maintenance.

The report is the first to map India’s Air Quality Management (AQM) sector and the various direct and indirect jobs within it. It recommends a capacity building road map for the next five years to meet the goals of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)