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This paper examines India's environmental policies and budget allocations from 2016–2024, revealing a focus on infrastructure that may overshadow environmental conservation. Significant discrepancies between policy rhetoric and budgetary commitments suggest that there is a need for realignment. Advocating an 'environment-centric' approach, the study calls for increased budgetary commitments to environmental protection, a strategic shift away from fossil fuels, and stringent regulatory oversight, all essential to ensure sustainable development in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is the second most populous country in the world and stood at seventh rank in a major climate risk index in 2019, which is a grave concern for the Indian government, policymakers and environmentalists. Therefore, the present study examines the role of fiscal policy and monetary policy instruments along with select macroeconomic variables on carbon emission in India over the period 1971–2019 in the non‐linear framework. The outcome of the study reveals that the impact of fiscal and monetary policy instruments on carbon emission is asymmetric in nature. In addition, the positive and negative shocks in fiscal and monetary policy instruments have a positive and negative impact on carbon emissions, respectively. Based on the coefficients' magnitude, the role of fiscal policy instruments has a more prominent effect on carbon emissions than monetary policy instruments. The findings of the study imply that the Indian government is required to implement green fiscal and monetary policies. Use fiscal policy to implement a 'green tax ratio' and a 'green subsidy programme' for manufacturers and investors to reduce CO2 emissions. A 'green lending programme' should be introduced for commercial banks by implementing monetary policy via the central bank. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrastructure development/industrialization in an area without proper environmental assessment is well known. Governments have implemented environmental impact assessment (EIA) policies to avoid harming the environment. Implementing EIA policy in coordination with local government agencies requires an understanding of environmental information flow. Before and after data sets on environmental change are critical for pro‐environment industry operation. Is it possible to synchronies EIA and Environmental information Centre (EIC) in a way that reduces environmental pollution while increasing entropy at all levels of communication? How does EIC affect EIA regimes? How to close environmental data? How should environmental data be used in EIA? A robust environment information policy (EIP) must address these issues in pro‐environmental development projects and industrial operations (EIP). However, access to information is still limited in India. Lack of quality and complete information makes it difficult for regulators to evaluate large‐scale infrastructure/industry development data submitted by proponents. Proposers and consultants should be given specific instructions on how to communicate with all stakeholders in the project impact zone. Additional information within the broad category of "Information" is sought. As a result, the researchers sought to gather data for the Environment Information System (EIS). Climate change and grassroots communication are two areas being studied. Information is critical in environmental matters. Despite public opinion, authorities ignore environmental planning. The policy decision cycle should priorities data. To better communicate about the environment, the author proposes a proper chain and system of information (Information Modeling). The reporting agencies strictly adhere to the EIA's policy. After their purpose is served, these reports are useless. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is extensive evidence linking air pollution exposure to physical health. Less is known about the mental health impacts of poor air quality, especially in developing countries. We use data from India and estimate the causal impact of air pollution exposure on feeling sad, experiencing cognitive difficulties, and feeling unable to control and cope with important things in life. We instrument for air pollution exposure using the annual number of nighttime thermal inversions and show that air pollution exposure in the previous calendar year significantly worsens mental health in the current year. We examine potential mechanisms and find that air pollution exposure negatively impacts self-reported physical health, worsens respiratory conditions, and increases the likelihood of experiencing sleeping difficulties. Accounting for mental health impacts of pollution exposure is critical to accurately estimating the true health costs of air pollution and designing optimal environmental policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SOx and NOx emissions originating from the combustion of fuels during the operation of industrial boilers are one of the primary contributors to regional and local air pollution, which have major effects on human well-being and ecosystems. As governmental bodies attempt to regulate and enforce emission norms, the industries operating the boilers are presented with an opportunity to optimise their fuel mix configurations to achieve a reduction in SOx, NOx, and CO2 emissions while ensuring the financial sustainability of plant operations. In this study, a System Dynamic simulation model is constructed from the perspective of an individual plant to facilitate the analysis of SOx, NOx, and CO2 emissions and the expenditure incurred through energy use and pollution control systems under different fuel-mix configurations, market conditions, and policy scenarios. The model facilitates the identification of alternative fuel-mix configurations to replace existing single-fuel firing systems while also reducing both emissions and expenditure. To demonstrate the model, exemplar data based on prevalent market and policy conditions in India are used to identify alternative fuel-mixes for typical 40TPH boiler. The experiments additionally highlight the significance of having an appropriate penalty or tax on emissions to foster compliance with emission norms in the industry without adversely impacting their financial sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change issue has evolved as a central policy of the Government of India. The crux of the policy is centered on the economic development. Internationally, India has been consistently resisting the developed country's climate policy as the policy might threaten New Delhi's economic development prospect. However, the recent evidence of climate change threat to the economic development compelled political leaders to design the domestic climate policy—the National Action Plan on Climate Change—which is consistent with the country's economic development. Considering the global climate diplomacy, this paper examines the evolution of India's domestic climate change-development discourse and how climate change has been constructed as a major threat at the highest political level that securitises the country's economic development. The threat discourse is explained from the standpoint of the securitisation theory to explore three core constituents of India's domestic climate policy: the referent object, securitising actors and the audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jointly with the Global North, the rise of the Global South has come at a high cost to the environment. Driven by its high energy intensity and the use of fossil fuels, the South has contributed a significant portion of global emissions during the last 30 years, and is now contributing some 63% of today's total GHG emissions (including land-use change and forestry). Similar to the Global North, the Global South's emissions are heavily concentrated: India and China alone account for some 60% and the top 10 countries for some 78% of the group's emissions, while some 120 countries account for only 22%. Without highlighting such differences, it makes little sense to use the term 'Global South'. Its members are affected differently, and contribute differently to global climate change. They neither share a common view, nor do they pursue joint interests when it comes to international climate negotiations. Instead, they are organised into more than a dozen subgroups of the global climate regime. There is no single climate strategy for the Global South, and climate action will differ enormously from country to country. Furthermore, just and equitable transitions may be particularly challenging for some countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although many scholars have studied policy success and failure, the relationship of these phenomena to the policy process—essential for an explanatory or anticipatory analysis—remains unclear. I address this gap by linking the policy success heuristic with the multiple streams framework (MSF) and developing hypotheses to explain outcomes. I apply this conceptualization to the case of the solar energy policy in Gujarat, India by combining a qualitative policy assessment with a process trace of policy making. The findings show that the conflicted process success and the programmatic failure resulted largely from a top‐down push for a policy without a problem. This push, nevertheless, led to political success that was sustained by recoupling problems and politics through agenda denial, blame avoidance, and credit claiming. I conclude with implications for the research on policy evaluation, the MSF, and policy studies, as well as the governance of a sustainable energy transition. Related Articles: Huda, Juhi. 2020. "Sources of Evidence for Risks and Benefits in Agricultural Biotechnology Policy in India: Exploring Links to Setting and Plot in Policy Narratives." Politics & Policy 49 (1): 205‐247. https://doi.org.10.1111/polp.12391 Peterson, Holly L., Mark K. McBeth, and Michael D. Jones. 2020. "Policy Process Theory for Rural Studies: Navigating Context and Generalization in Rural Policy." Politics & Policy 48 (4): 576‐617. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12366 Rawat, Pragati, and John Charles Morris. 2016. "Kingdon's 'Streams' Model at Thirty: Still Relevant in the 21st Century? Politics & Policy 44 (4): 608‐638. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12168 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India's textile industry is among the largest in the world and contributes significantly to India's GDP and economic growth. As the second largest total exporter globally after China with more than 45 million workers, India's textile industry has long been the subject of criticism concerning labour exploitation and environmental damage. Since 2016, nevertheless, Narendra Modi's government has started to take a different yet somewhat perplexing approach to introducing and environmentally friendlier and more sustainable direction in its textile industry. This article aims to comprehend the reasons behind India's new policy arguing that—despite such changes—environmental sustainability has not become India's full concern in the textile sector at the moment. Such a shift was part of India's international market expansion strategy towards the European Union market which had imposed non—tariff import restrictions on India's textile products. This article also shows contradictions and tensions in the government's eco—friendly textile policy concerning its high production costs and India's yet dependence on conventional production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article responds to recent research highlighting the need for greater focus on the dynamics of climate mobility and destination state policies. Bangladesh's low‐lying landmass, dense population and long coastline has raised the risk of climate change‐induced destabilization due to sea‐level rise. There is increased risk of long‐term, cross‐border movement of climate refugees into India which previously experienced a short‐term, intense exodus of ten million East Pakistani refugees from the 1971 Bangladesh War. This study understands India's state, NGO, and societal responses to the 1971 crisis using the concept of framing and developing a "perception‐capability‐policy output" approach to garner policy lessons for potential future climate change‐induced migration. Limitations of the "conflict versus climate migration" comparison are acknowledged, even as its utility is highlighted. The article ends by noting the crucial role of NGOs and social capital in filling capability voids of the state, constrained by a polarizing political environment. Related Articles: Asal, Victor, and Mitchell Brown. 2010. "A Cross‐National Exploration of the Conditions that Produce Interpersonal Violence." Politics & Policy 38 (2): 175‐192. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2010.00234.x Harel‐Shalev, Ayelet. 2009. "Lingual and Educational Policy toward 'Homeland Minorities' in Deeply Divided Societies: India and Israel as Case Studies." Politics & Policy 37 (5): 951‐970. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2009.00206.x/abstract Harel‐Shalev, Ayelet. 2013. "Policy Analysis beyond Personal Law: Muslim Women's Rights in India." Politics & Policy 41 (3): 384‐419. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12016 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity is not equally distributed across the world. It depends on the type of various habitats and food availability. In these habitats, wetlands play an import role to increase the biodiversity of the particular area. Many studies have focused on various habitats to conserve biodiversity. However, the wetland studies are very few due to the lack of information on their distribution and importance. The present review focusses on the wetland status and their importance in India. India has vibrant and diverse wetland ecosystems that support immense biodiversity. The wetlands are unique habitats which provide ecological, social and economic values. However, rapid urbanization, industrialization and uncontrolled agricultural practices have pressurized to shrink the wetlands in India. The present paper highlights the wetland habitats in India with their geographical location, distribution, avian species diversity and their significance. The paper also discusses the growing threats like climate change, land-use change and agriculture/municipal waste to the wetlands and the conservation efforts by Indian government policies, i.e. National Wetland Conservation Programme, National Environmental Policy, and National Plan for conservation of the aquatic ecosystem. In addition, on the basis of previous studies on wetlands, it is suggested that the role of stakeholders is very much responsible for wetland conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the gaps and tensions in the application of environmental justice principles in the context of forest laws in India. Topics discussed include evolution of forest laws in India, explanation on rights of forest communities and wildlife conservation, and information on the coal mining of the Parsa East Ketan Besan (PEKB) mine by the Adani enterprises.

Understanding the causality between energy consumption, carbon emissions and economic growth is helpful for policymakers to formulate energy, environmental and economic policies. For the first time, based on nonlinear dynamics, this paper employs multispatial convergent cross mapping (CCM) to revisit the energy-carbon-economy causation for China, India and the G7 countries using both aggregate data and per capita data. The findings indicate that there are significant differences between developing countries and developed countries. A bidirectional nexus between energy consumption, carbon emissions and economic growth is found in China and India, but various causal relationships are identified in the G7 countries, including bidirectional, unidirectional and neutral nexus. The results confirm that the decoupling phenomenon is common in most G7 countries. By leveraging a variety of samples and a new approach, this study provides new evidence for policy authorities to formulate country-specific policies to obtain better environmental quality while achieving sustainable economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using policy cycle model as a heuristic, this article studies Indian, Brazilian, and South African engagement with Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) by (a) comparing NAMA policy process and (b) identifying factors driving or limiting the framework’s domestic application. India largely remained uninterested in NAMAs, Brazil aligned its domestic climate policy and NAMAs, while South Africa had a more nuanced engagement when formulating NAMAs. Four factors influenced these countries’ NAMA engagements: the level and necessity of international support, the availability of domestic policy provisions to tackle climate change, the domestic institutional capacity to coordinate interministerial functioning, and the role of individuals in the institutional apparatus. As an international climate policy framework, studying NAMA engagement provides learnings for nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement for designing the instrument, ensuring clarity on support provisions for ratcheting up ambitions, and enhancing institutional capacity, to expedite transition from policy formulation to implementation and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing urban air pollution level in Indian cities is one of the major concerns for policy makers due to its impact on public health. The growth in population and increase in associated motorised road transport demand is one of the major causes of increasing air pollution in most urban areas along with other sources e.g., road dust, construction dust, biomass burning etc. The present study documents the development of an urban local air quality management (ULAQM) framework at urban hotspots (non-attainment area) and a pathway for the flow of information from goal setting to policy making. The ULAQM also includes assessment and management of air pollution episodic conditions at these hotspots, which currently available city/regional-scale air quality management plans do not address. The prediction of extreme pollutant concentrations using a hybrid model differentiates the ULAQM from other existing air quality management plans. The developed ULAQM framework has been applied and validated at one of the busiest traffic intersections in Delhi and Chennai cities. Various scenarios have been tested targeting the effective reductions in elevated levels of NO x and PM 2.5 concentrations. The results indicate that a developed ULAQM framework is capable of providing an evidence-based graded action to reduce ambient pollution levels within the specified standard level at pre-identified locations. The ULAQM framework methodology is generalised and therefore can be applied to other non-attainment areas of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental policy is an important means to promote the environmental innovation of enterprises, and environmental innovation is a concrete manifestation for enterprises to follow environmental regulations and assume social responsibility. This study constructs a relationship model of environmental policy instruments, environmental innovation, and corporate reputation along the logical line of "policy-behaviour-performance". Three hundred and six manufacturing enterprises are selected as the research sample, and the influence of three kinds of environmental policy instruments and their combination on the environmental innovation of enterprises is also tested by using a structural equation model and multiple regression analysis. The influence of environmental innovation on the reputation of enterprises is also analysed. The results show that the market-based instrument and information-based instrument have significant positive effects on the three dimensions of an enterprise's environmental innovation, while the command-and-control instrument only has a significant positive effect on eco-organization innovation; eco-organization innovation, eco-process innovation, and eco-product innovation play the role of improving corporate reputation. In addition, as to eco-organization innovation, the combination of the command-and-control instrument and the market-based instrument, as well as the combination of command-and-control, market-based, and information-based instruments, have synergistic effects; as to eco-product innovation, the combination of the command-and-control and information-based instrument has synergistic effects. According to the research conclusion, this study gives the corresponding management implications and points out future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-governmental organisations working on rights based issues in India have recently been in the firing line of the government. The controversial Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), originally instituted during the national emergency in 1976, has been further amended in recent times to arbitrarily restrict groups speaking out against human rights abuses and environmental problems in a rapidly industrialising India. Yet again raising the spectre of the 'foreign hand', governments have proceeded to cancel the licences and freeze the foreign funds of NGOs. Using the case study of the crackdown on Greenpeace on account of its advocacy against coal development, this paper discusses how the Indian Government has used the FCRA as a lever to stifle the capability of NGOs to protest the violation of rights across the landscape. It analyses Greenpeace's fight-back to the government's crackdown. In labelling civil society groups as anti-national in an era of neoliberal economic growth, the government's corporate bias stands fully exposed. Consequently, the government's crackdown contributed to retriggering two much needed debates in society: about who benefits and who misses out from India's economic growth, and about the social and environmental costs of coal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rivers flowing into the Western Indian Ocean have steep headwater gradients and carry high sediment loads. In combination with strong tides and seasonal rainfall, these rivers create dynamic deltas with biodiversity-rich and productive ecosystems that, through flooding, have sustained indigenous use systems for centuries. However, river catchments are rapidly changing due to deforestation. Hydropower dams also increasingly alter flood characteristics, reduce sediment supply and contribute to coastal erosion. These impacts are compounded by climate change. Altogether, these changes affect the livelihoods of the delta users. Here, based on prior works that we and others have conducted in the region, we analyse the drivers of these hydro-ecological changes. We then provide recommendations for improved dam design and operations to sustain the underlying delta-building processes, the ecosystem values and the needs of the users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the long-run and short-run causal relationships among energy consumption, real gross domestic product (GDP) and CO2emissions using aggregate and disaggregate (sectoral) energy consumption measures utilising annual data from 1971 to 2011. The autoregressive distributed lag bounds test reveals that there is a long-run relationship among the variables concerned at both aggregate and disaggregate levels. The Toda–Yamamoto causality tests, however, reveal that the long-run as well short-run causal relationship among the variables is not uniform across sectors. The weight of evidences of the study indicates that there is short-run causality from electricity consumption to economic growth, and to CO2emissions. The results suggest that India should take appropriate cautious steps to sustain high growth rate and at the same time to control emissions of CO2. Further, energy and environmental policies should acknowledge the sectoral differences in the relationship between energy consumption and real gross domestic product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) is now a part of daily life. When this equipment becomes waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE or E-waste), however, it needs to be properly processed, for use as a source of materials for future production and renewable energy, and to minimize both the exploitation of raw materials and the deleterious effects on both the environment and human health. A large quantity of e-waste is generated in both India and China, and both countries still suffer from an entrenched informal e-waste processing sector. Consequently, valuable materials in e-waste are disposed in open land, rather than being properly extracted for reuse and recycling. In this article we note that the major portion of e-waste in China and India is collected by the informal sector and treated with primitive methods. Additionally, illegal shifting agents also play a role by mislabeling e-waste and exporting them to developing countries. This article proposes that: the implementation of e-waste management laws and policies for proper e-waste collection, treatment and recycling, better educate consumers on the dangers of e-waste contamination, restrict the illegal movement of e-waste across borders, and support the development of a formal, regulated e-waste processing industry by funding incentive programs constructing recycling infrastructure. These measures should increase the recycling capacity and decrease the amount of WEEE contaminating the environment and endangering human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the world's two largest countries requires feasible governance pathways that integrate politics, policy and administration. Using examples of successful mitigation at the local level in China (Guangzhou) and India (Gujarat), this article identifies integrated governance solutions that work in both cases through different types of linkages. In China, it is mainly intra-governmental linkages, while in India it is mainly state–society linkages. In neither case do international negotiations concerning emissions targets have significant effects, while national frameworks have only marginal effects. Approaching the problem in this comparative manner helps to clarify how greenhouse gas governance operates in each country, the lessons for central–local environmental relations, and the implications for international assistance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Public participation in environmental decision making is promoted in the Global South as a core tenet of “good governance” associated with sustainability. This emphasis on participatory governance has produced significant attention to the importance of “environmental awareness” as a precondition of participation in environmental governance. This article analyzes the connected discourses surrounding environmental awareness and participation in Indian water-quality policy, focusing on North India’s Ganges River. Drawing on evidence from policy documents and interviews with government officials and other key informants, it argues that the emphasis on environmental awareness as a precondition of participation has allowed the state to effectively forestall participation, to approach awareness raising as a consensus-building activity, and to effectively rollback the regulation of polluting industries. Moreover, conditional participation has increased opportunities for state agencies to control the conditions and terms of “awareness,” contributing to the effacement of alternative environmental knowledges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Over the last decade, infant and young child feeding (IYCF) indicators in India have improved. However, poor IYCF practices are still apparent, associated with pervasive high rates of child under-nutrition. Interventions to improve IYCF need augmentation by appropriate policy support to consolidate gains. The aim of this study was to identify opportunities to strengthen and support IYCF policies through a policy content and stakeholder network analysis.Methods: IYCF policies and guidelines were systematically mapped and coded using predetermined themes. Six 'net-map' group interviews were conducted for stakeholder analysis with data analyzed using ORA (organizational risk analyzer, copyright Carley, Carnegie Mellon University) software. The study was carried out at a national level and in the states of Maharashtra and unified Andhra Pradesh.Results: Thirty relevant policy documents were identified. Support for IYCF was clearly apparent and was actioned within sectoral policies and strategic plans. We identified support for provision of information to mothers and caregivers in both sectoral and high-level/strategic policy documents. At a sectoral level, there was support for training health care workers and for enabling mothers to access IYCF. Opportunities to strengthen policy included expanding coverage and translating policy goals into implementation level documents. At the national level, Ministry of Women and Child Development [MoWCD], Ministry of Health and Family Welfare [MoHFW] and the Prime Minister's Nutrition Council [PMNC] were the most influential actors in providing technical support while MoHFW, MoWCD, and Bill Melinda Gates Foundation were the most influential actors in providing funding and were therefore influential stakeholders in shaping IYCF policies and programs.Conclusion: We identified a wide range of strengths in the IYCF policy environment in India and also opportunities for improvement. One key strength is the integration of IYCF policies into a range of agendas and guidelines related to health and child development service delivery at the national and state level. However, the lack of a specific national policy on IYCF means that there is no formal mechanism for review and monitoring implementation across sectors and jurisdictions. Another opportunity identified is the development of IYCF policy guidelines in emergencies and for tribal populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implementation of the Paris Agreement would require transformative technologies, policies and measures to stabilize warming in the range 1.5–2°C. Operationalization of the Paris Agreement would necessitate large-scale estimation, monitoring, modelling, reporting and verification of GHG inventories, mitigation actions and their implications and co-benefits, along with reporting on climate change impacts and adaptation. This article highlights the need for research, modelling, monitoring, reporting and data requirements for India, keeping in mind the need for transparency, accuracy, completeness, consistency and comparability. Further, India will have to initiate largescale research and data generation for operationalization of the Paris Agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The informal waste recycling sector has been an indispensable but ironically invisible part of the waste management systems in developing countries as India, often completely disregarded and overlooked by decision makers and policy frameworks. The turn towards liberalization of economy since 1991 in India opened the doors for privatization of urban services and the waste sector found favor with private companies facilitated by the local governments. In joining the privatization bandwagon, the local governments aim to create an image of a progressive city demonstrated most visibly through apt management of municipal solid waste. Resultantly, the long important stakeholder, the informal sector has been sidelined and left to face the adverse impacts of privatization. There is hardly any recognition of its contributions or any attempt to integrate it within the formal waste management systems. The study investigates the impacts of privatization on the waste pickers in waste recycling operations. Highlighting the other dimension of waste collection and management in urban India the study focuses on the waste pickers and small time informal scrap dealers and this is done by taking the case study of Amritsar city, which is an important historic centre and a metropolitan city in the state of Punjab, India. The paper develops an analytical framework, drawing from literature review to analyze the impacts. In conclusion, it supports the case for involving informal waste sector towards achieving sustainable waste management in the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the Paris Agreement, an international agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and mentions India's commitment towards achieving the goals set by the agreement. Topics discussed include a brief description of the Paris Agreement, the India's intended nationally determined contributions to reduce emissions, and recommendations for effective implementations of environmental policies for climate change mitigation among developing countries.

Health has been the main driver for many urban environmental interventions, particularly in cases of significant health problems linked to poor urban environmental conditions. This paper examines empirically the links between climate change mitigation and health in urban areas, when health is the main driver for improvements. The paper aims to understand how systems of urban governance can enable or prevent the creation of health outcomes via continuous improvements in the environmental conditions in a city. The research draws on cases from two Indian cities where initiatives were undertaken in different sectors: Surat (waste) and Delhi (transportation). Using the literature on network effectiveness as an analytical framework, the paper compares the cases to identify the possible ways to strengthen the governance and policy making process in the urban system so that each intervention can intentionally realize multiple impacts for both local health and climate change mitigation in the long term as well as factors that may pose a threat to long-term progress and revert back to the previous situation after initial achievements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the author discusses protection of the environment and enhancing human well-being and challenges India is facing to address the concern. Topics discussed include impact of industrialization on India's natural forests, rates of energy production and consumption demand, and government's climate mitigation plans.

Along with the large middle-income countries Brazil, China, and South Africa, India has been put under increasing pressure to shoulder parts of the mitigation burden and commit to national emission reduction targets. India, however, refers to its limited capacity and widespread poverty. Is India hiding behind its poor? While others examine the distribution of emissions within the country to answer this question, we study domestic policy making for energy subsidies and access to clean energy. Empirical evidence suggests that domestic policy making is at least partially consistent with the pro-poor arguments advanced at the international level. Given their large number and the country's democratic system, the poor do have some weight in Indian politics. However, pro-poor policies end where they do not translate into greater vote shares. Moreover, India's international position ignores the existing complementarities between climate-friendly and pro-poor activities. Policy relevance Despite India's recent growth spurt, its concern to fight energy poverty at home before engaging in any commitments on climate policy at the international level should be taken seriously within the international negotiations. Policy making in India is driven by democratic incentives, which, in this case, work to the benefit of the poor. Pro-poor policies may not go as far as one would wish from a developmental perspective, but the impact of the masses of the poor on domestic policy making is politically significant and cannot be ignored. This also provides some broader lessons for mitigation and adaptation policies in developing countries: politicians respond to incentives and support will only reach the needy if the appropriate incentives are in place. While we observe some significant commitment and implementation problems even in a democratic country like India, such problems must be expected to be even more serious elsewhere. This should not be overlooked when designing institutions for the allocation of climate finance, such as the Green Climate Fund. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: India is home to about 12% of the world's tobacco users, with about 1.35 million tobacco-related deaths each year. The morbidity and mortality rates are socially patterned based on gender, rural vs. urban residence, education, and other factors. Following the World Health Organization's guidance, it is critical to offer tobacco users support for cessation as a complement to policy and environmental changes. Such guidance is typically unavailable in low-resource systems, despite the potential for population-level impact. Additionally, service delivery for tobacco control tends to be patterned by sociodemographic factors. To understand current activity in this area, we assessed the percentage of daily tobacco users being asked about tobacco use and advised to quit by a healthcare provider. We also examined social patterning of receipt of services (related to by rural vs. urban residence, age, gender, education, caste, and wealth).Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from India's 2016-2017 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS-2), a nationally representative survey. Among 74,037 respondents, about 25% were daily users of smoked and/or smokeless tobacco. We examined rates of being asked and advised about tobacco use overall and based on rural vs. urban residence, age, gender, education, caste, and wealth. We also conducted multivariate logistic regression to assess the association of demographic and socioeconomic conditions with participants' receipt of "ask and advise" services.Results: Nationally, among daily tobacco users, we found low rates of individuals reporting being asked about tobacco use or advised to quit by a healthcare provider (22% and 19%, respectively). Being asked and advised about tobacco use was patterned by age, gender, education, caste, and wealth in our final regression model.Conclusions: This study offers a helpful starting point in identifying opportunities to address a critical service delivery gap in India. Given the existing burden on the public health and health systems, scale-up will require innovative, resource-appropriate solutions. The findings also point to the need to center equity in the design and scale-up of tobacco cessation supports so that marginalized and underserved groups will have equitable access to these critical services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The few systematic international comparisons of climate policy strength made so far have serious weaknesses, particularly those that assign arbitrary weightings to different policy instrument types in order to calculate an aggregate score for policy strength. This article avoids these problems by ranking the six biggest emitters by far – China, the US, the EU, India, Russia, and Japan – on a set of six key policy instruments that are individually potent and together representative of climate policy as a whole: carbon taxes, emissions trading, feed-in tariffs, renewable energy quotas, fossil fuel power plant bans, and vehicle emissions standards. The results cast strong doubt on any idea that there is a clear hierarchy on climate policy with Europe at the top: the EU does lead on a number of policies but so does Japan. China, the US, and India each lead on one area. Russia is inactive on all fronts. At the same time climate policy everywhere remains weak compared to what it could be. Policy relevance This study enables climate policy strength, defined as the extent to which the statutory provisions of climate policies are likely to restrict GHG emissions if implemented as intended, to be assessed and compared more realistically across space and time. As such its availability for the six biggest emitters, which together account for over 70% of global CO2emissions, should facilitate international negotiations (1) by giving participants a better idea of where major emitters stand relative to each other as far as climate policy stringency is concerned, and (2) by identifying areas of weakness that need action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2009, the Government of India asked all Indian states and Union Territories to prepare State Action Plans on Climate Change, making it one of the largest efforts at sub-national climate planning globally. Through an examination of state climate plans in five Indian states, the paper explores the implications of sub-national climate measures by examining two questions: First, how do state action plans on climate change link with India’s national and international climate efforts in the context of multi-level governance of climate change? Second, do these plans serve as laboratories of experimentation in addressing climate change? Through an empirically driven inductive analysis, the paper argues that because state climate plans, at least in the initial stages, followed a centrally driven, and sometimes ambiguous agenda, their scope and room to experiment was circumscribed. While they did initiate a process and a conversation, the scope and impact of the plans was limited because they tended to follow conventional bureaucratic planning processes and were limited by a central mandate. The plan process did create some space for local innovation, particularly by enterprising bureaucrats, but this was limited by both restricted space and time for innovation. As a result, the plans made only initial steps toward bringing climate-resilient sustainability to the forefront of state development planning. There is however scope for improvement as states and stakeholders begin examining the plans with a view to implement recommendations, finance projects and even consider fresh iterations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article sheds light on multi-level climate governance in the particular context of India and scrutinizes the role India’s subnational states play in climate policy. It uses an analytical lens that combines multi-level climate governance and “laboratories of experimentation”. The first part of the article clarifies the analytical concept of the article and deals with the phenomenon of states experimentation in multi-level climate governance structures from a theoretical background. The second part of the article explores India’s multi-level climate governance structure and sheds light on the role of India’s states therein with specific emphasis on the development of renewable energy. The third part looks at the multi-tiered climate action planning processes, and considers how central top-down policies and subnational bottom-up approaches are linked. Asking whether the Indian states do not only act as mere implementers of federal top-down policies, but instead create own initiatives for climate action. The article examines state climate action plans with particular focus on renewable energy initiatives integrated in the plans by asking whether the Indian states do not act solely as mere implementers of federal top-down policies, but instead create their own initiatives for climate action, much like the German Bundesländer, for example. Based on document analysis and interviews the article explores whether India’s states experiment with individual approaches to develop renewable energy which are, tailored to regional specifics, or whether they mainly implement national objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article looks at the proposed goal of India to reduce the emissions intensity of its economy, or the amount of carbon dioxide emitted per unit of gross domestic product, by between 20% and 25% by the year 2020. Topics discussed include the country's climate pledge, or Intended Nationally Determined tribution (INDC), per capita emissions, carbon intensity, and annual emissions.

We examined existing policy instruments of the Indian forest, wildlife, and environment sectors for the period 1927–2008 to (a) assess their strengths and weaknesses in addressing information, market and policy failures in ecosystem service provision in the Indian Himalayan region and (b) determine if they were informatory or regulatory in nature and whether they encouraged the use of market-based instruments. Our analysis revealed that Indian policy measures can be categorized into four eras: Production (1927–1972), Protection (1972–1988), Community Participation (1988–2006), and Climate Change and Globalization (2006 onwards). The policies of the earlier two eras were largely regulatory in nature. From 1988 onwards, community participation in biodiversity conservation has made the policies more informatory and market-based. The recognition that Himalayas are a distinct ecosystem, crucial for their services but vulnerable to climate change impacts, has come about only with the National Mission on Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem. Given the multiple stakeholders in Indian Himalayas and the off-site nature of ecosystem services, a complementarity of instruments and their ability to address the consequences of local decisions on downstream ecosystem services are essential. A participatory and sectorally coordinated mixed governance approach is needed to sustain ecosystem services in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We used a quasi-experimental research design to study the extent of motivational crowding in a recent sustainable development intervention in northern India. The project provided participants with both private and communal material benefits to enhance their incomes, and environmental and social information to inculcate pro-environmental motivations. We compared changes in reported motivations of participants for conserving forest resources, before and after project implementation, with changes in reported motivations of matched nonparticipants. We found that villagers who received private economic benefits were more likely to change from an environmental to an economic motivation for forest protection, whereas those who engaged in communal activities related to the project were less likely to change from an environmental to an economic motivation. These results, which indicate a substantial but conditional degree of motivational crowding, clarify the relationships between institutional change, incentives, and motivations and have important implications for the design of sustainable development interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Many pressing challenges that perennially affect countries today are those related to environmental sustainability. As major entities, business organizations play a primal role in boosting the economy, stakeholders are increasingly under pressure to achieve net zero emissions. However, in emerging economies, these entities are scarcely inclined towards implementation of newer environmental policies as they're oblivious to perils of excessive carbon emissions and its consequences. Therefore, it is essential to look for sustainability measures to secure a system that reduces the carbon footprint and ultimately reaches a zero-carbon future. This research proposes a method to identify and assess the barriers of carbon regulatory policies (CRPs) so that advancements in carbon emission reduction practices can be pursued; we present a specific focus on developing nations. An integrated multi-criteria decision-making approach is proposed to achieve environmental sustainability. Initially, the Best Worst Method is used to determine the relative importance of the barriers in the implementation of regulatory policies. Subsequently, we utilize Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory to establish interrelationships among the barriers of carbon policies. To elucidate the application of the proposed novel framework, a case considering multiple manufacturing firms with multiple stakeholders in India is examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the causal impacts of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) on the environmental performance of Indian manufacturing firms, as measured by their energy use, carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions, and intensities of CO 2 emissions per sales and per energy use. The impacts of CDM projects are estimated using either two-way fixed-effect regressions or an estimator built for an event study with staggered treatment (Sun and Abraham, 2021) combined with a sample of ever-treated firms only or a sample comparing treated to never-treated control firms using semi-parametric matching. We found that CDM projects significantly increased firms' CO 2 emissions and energy use after treatment, but had no effect on CO 2 emission intensity per sales and only a small negative effect on the CO 2 content of energy use (only for the matched sample). These results reveal that CDM projects led to a positive scale effect (increased sales) after investments were made, and that these investments triggered a limited emission-reducing technique effect (decreased CO 2 intensity). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El artículo discurre sobre el impacto de los cambios climáticos en Assam, India. Los autores comentan sobre el proceso de adaptación a estos cambios y a eventos de clima extremo. También se considera el rol del gobierno en desarrollar políticas asociadas con el fortalecimiento de hogares en la región.

Fireworks events during the annual Indian festival of Diwali has been heavily criticised in recent times. Perchlorate is an essential component of fireworks. The effects of the fireworks on perchlorate (ClO 4 −) concentrations and quality parameters of the ambient waters of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India were studied. As expected, ClO 4 − concentrations in the (Kankaria) lake adjoining the fireworks site were below detection prior to the Diwali event and increased to 0.97 and 1.03 μg/L at 48 and 288 h after the event, respectively. However, samples from the Sabarmati River surprisingly contained an extremely high concentration of ClO 4 − (65 μg/L) one day before the event, which decreased to 1.14 μg/L after 48 h and was below detection limit after 7 days of the event. This finding raises questions such as: (a) which has greater impact, fireworks manufacturing or burning; (b) can unregulated release of untreated effluents be a major critical source of pollution needing immediate attention from removal, environmental regulation and policy perspectives; c) is policy pertaining to unskilled labour in the manufacturing of fireworks and other ClO 4 −-containing products needed in developing countries; and d) is ClO 4 − being a strong oxidiser, detrimental to the soil, groundwater, and aquatic environment? Image 1 • Perchlorate (ClO 4 −) was measured in waters proximal to a Diwali fireworks event. • Following Diwali, ClO 4 − concentration increased to 1.03 μg/L in Kankaria Lake. • The Sabarmati River had extremely high ClO 4 − (65 μg/L) one day before the event. • Unregulated effluents impacted ClO 4 − concentration much more than fireworks. • 65 μg/L is the second highest ClO 4 − concentration ever reported in river of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors argue on the ambitious targets of the government of India set in the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) to reduce carbon emissions and meet the cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel. Topics discussed include various non-fossil installed capacity targets of the country, the growth of the gross domestic product (GDP) and the electricity sector, and the challenge faced by the energy research community.

The author focuses on the role played by Indian television media in disseminating scientific information to the people related to climatic changes. He states that the reporting on the changes regarding climate will help in shaping climatic adaptation and mitigation actions. He mentions the need of increase in coverage by need on topic of climate change for engaging more people in the process.