The global economy is preparing for the upcoming COP30 and for that to happen, there is a lot to learn from COP29. This conference helped put into numbers the need to fill the gaps in climate finance alongside the deep-rooted issues that exist. Closing the gaps requires a movement away from minor upgrades to major and intentional changes that are embedded with elements of equity, accessibility, and accountability, says Abhinish Boora in this article.

North–East (NE) India is a treasure trove—providing habitat to breathtaking biodiversity, with diverse natural landscapes, and ecological wealth. The indigenous communities of NE India have cultures, practices, traditions, festivals, and food that are deeply entwined with the region’s natural resources, creating a rich tapestry of life that reflects their profound connection to the environment. This vast yet fragile ecosystem, which is home to several endemic flora and fauna, is currently facing mounting pressure of climate change, rapid urbanization, and deforestation. Via this article, Pranjul Chauhan and Aniruddh Soni share how TERI has been leading impactful conservation and restoration efforts in this ecologically rich and culturally diverse region.

This piece of writing by Ritika Singh and Aniruddh Soni sheds light on both limitation and potential of compensatory afforestation. The authors have included a study conducted by the Land Resources Division of TERI to evaluate the implementation of compensatory afforestation in India. The study received support from The Infravision Foundation (TIF). This study identified challenges, address gaps, and propose actionable solutions. The authors concluded, if managed properly, this mechanism could ensure that not only are forests regenerated but foster long-term environmental and societal well-being. With a more effective implementation strategy, compensatory afforestation can serve as a powerful tool for channelling funds into forest conservation efforts. It can also play a pivotal role in uplifting communities, both directly and indirectly.

With his article, Ambassador Arne Walther, gives us the major takeaways of the COP29. He stresses the significance of energy transitions and additions. The world needs more energy, not less, to fuel global economic and social development. But it must be cleaner energy, used in a more efficient way, accessible and affordable for all. Despite all that is being done to develop and scale up renewable energy options, and contrary to climate ambition, global demand for fossil fuels is increasing and that at higher price levels. Increasing global energy demand heightens the urgency of both energy transitions and energy additions.

This article, contributed by Arpita Victor, examines the reliance of renewable energy technologies on the extraction and processing of energy critical elements (ECEs) and emphasizes the importance of ensuring that the energy transition is truly fair and equitable for all stakeholders impacted along the ECE value chain.

The PFAS represent one of the most pressing environmental and public health challenges of the 21st century. Their persistence, mobility, and bioaccumulative characteristics have resulted in widespread contamination and significant health risks. The article in hand by Avanti Roy-Basu andDr Kriti Akansha explains how addressing PFAS necessitates immediate and coordinated action, integrating stringent regulations, innovative remediation technologies, and international collaboration. As scientific knowledge advances, adaptive strategies must be formulated to mitigate PFAS risks and protect ecosystems and human health. By prioritizing sustainable solutions and fostering collective action, we can pave the way for a healthier, more sustainable future while effectively addressing the challenges presented by these ‘forever Chemicals’.

In this article, Bijon Kumer Mitra, Vibhas Sukhwani, and Kazuhiko Takeuchi, experts from the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Japan, talk about the potential application of circulating and ecological sphere concept as a multi-scale and multi-dimensional approach for synergistic localization of climate and sustainable development actions in India.

Authored by Rashmi Bahuguna  and Jyotish Talukdar, the present article dedicates itself to discussion on the decentralized renewable energy (DRE) technologies. At present, the DRE is in its early phase, but holds immense potential from the perspective of sustainable development. How Kalong Kapili, an NGO, with the use of DRE technologies, has been producing constructive results, in contributing towards environmental, economic, and social development in a sustainable manner, specifically in aquaculture sector of the North–East India has been well arrested by the authors.

This article composed by Prof. Susmita Mitra and Dr Nitya Nanda explores India’s possible role in advancing SSC in South Asia, focusing on the GEF-SGP as a model for promoting community-driven environmental action and fostering regional collaboration. The authors opine—the SGP offers a viable platform for successful uptake and replication and  improvement of the impact and durability of exchanges bringing communities and government officials together to discuss common challenges and to share solutions that have worked, creating networks and establishing a community of practitioners; and using peer-to-peer exchanges to enable participants to learn about a previously applied solution and avoid repeating mistakes.

This article by Elizabeth A Vazquez and Eroshan Alagaretnam sheds light on the relevance of women entrepreneurship. Through purposeful purchasing, bold policymaking, and strategic partnerships, we have the power to create a world where everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute and thrive. The time to act is now. By championing the vast potential of women entrepreneurs, we can drive innovation, strengthen communities, and build a future defined by shared prosperity and sustainable growth for all. The path to a sustainable and inclusive global economy lies in recognizing and harnessing the power of women-owned businesses. In this endeavour, WEConnect International is leading the way by connecting buyers with women-owned sellers and fostering a fairer marketplace.

The article talks about Indo–German cooperation on sustainable mobility. Kashmira Dubash shares with us the success story of ‘India Cycles4Change and Streets4People Challenges’—how the initiative traversed its path—from an ideation to a reality. The author opines and demonstrates how no best practice can truly take shape without active citizen and public engagement in this Indo–German alliance.

The article by Dr Deepak Chamola, Pritam Majumdar and Dr R Ravi Babu makes the readers aware of the JIVA—an innovative programme that has the potential to enhance sustainability and make agriculture climate resilient. The trio is of the opinion—the participatory method in the planning process and farmer-to-farmer learning approaches will ensure the outreach and sustainability of the initiatives.

India and Japan have been associated with each other from the past many decades. This partnership has always played a crucial role in promoting stability and prosperity on both regional and global scales. This article composed by Shinichiro Imahori is dedicated towards discussions on strategic collaboration in the sphere of energy transition. The nations would take multiple initiatives to enable stable renewable energy supply and efficient power transmission from remote areas to urban centres, significantly improving India’s energy mix.

Waste management is a global challenge. The present article authored by Chandreyee Mitra, Mohammed Idris, and Jai Kumar Gaurav makes us aware of a unique wet waste management approach. The trio presents Bengaluru as a case study that demonstrates how in order to reduce the burden of unscientific handling of large volumes of municipal solid waste the city has opted to shift from a centralized single stream collection and landfill disposal system to a decentralized multiple stream collection and scientific processing system.

This article by Laveesh Bhandari is autobiographical in nature. It takes into account the tentative status of the government budgets (Central and states) as a consequence of India’s energy transition. A little imagination would felicitate understanding. Over time as fossil fuel dependence falls, government will earn less and less revenue from the energy sector. Please read further to know more!

This article penned by Farheen Islam and Dr Mandira Kochar makes the readers aware about the role cyanobacteria can play in mankind’s efforts towards realization of sustainable development. Commonly known as blue-green algae, cyanobacteria are primitive microorganisms that have inhabited the earth for 3.5 billion years and possess a vast potential in addressing important global challenges that are related to climate change, agriculture, and health care. Cyanobacteria have now emerged as a potential source for sustainable agriculture, better reliable non-toxic medical supplies, food supplements, and nano-bioconjugates without harming the environment.

Sustainability challenges are inherently complex, as they intersect in physical, biological, and social dimensions. Solutions proposed by scholars, researchers, and policymakers often face real-world constraints, making it difficult to implement risk-free resolutions. Via this article, Sagarmoy Phukan, Dr Amit Kumar Jaglan, and Prof. Shaleen Singhal offer how innovative approach can help us to overcome such constraints. This approach assists in overcoming the limitations of linear models, where researchers and policymakers operate within defined boundaries.

Comprehension of the phenomenon of climate change as a crisis forms the subject matter of the present article by Prof. Emmanuella Doussis. The author makes us view this emergency from different perspectives and establishes mere knowing it is not enough. We are already late in commencing the ‘doing’ process.

The path of sustainable development goes through decarbonization of the industrial sector. In this regard, MSME sector provides us with both challenges and opportunities.  With its 63 million units, the sector provides employment to over 110 million people and stands for 45% contribution to the nation’s GDP. The figures are self-explanatory for an energy-efficient transition. The author, Girish Sethi, has skillfully charted how partnerships and knowledge sharing are the key drivers in our quest for environmentally benign energy alternatives.

Cooling solutions have become a global necessity. On this matter, Ita Kettleborough makes us understand how collaboration and partnerships are vital to meet the rising cooling demand. As per the author, ensuring access to cooling and managing the resulting energy demand will be the two major challenges in the coming decades, but solutions exist and risks can be managed. A single solution will not work for the diversity of local conditions, building types, and people’s needs so there is a lot to learn by sharing the diverse suite of existing solutions from across the world and encouraging adoption of solutions at the local level.

Kriti Sharma expresses her thoughts on how India needs to remove barriers to scale-up new and additional cleaner sources of energy along with energy-efficiency measures. While lower tariffs have favoured the scaling up of large grid-scale projects, renewables do have hidden costs and other technical issues such as storage, efficiency of infrastructure, amongst others. There is a need for reforms to power market design to better integrate renewables alongside conventional sources of energy used by the country.

The article explores the critical role of people-centric, decentralized energy transitions in driving both social change and climate action, particularly in India’s aspirational districts. Anandajit Goswami argues that while localized energy solutions like solar microgrids can improve livelihoods and reduce local emissions, their global impact on climate change remains limited, requiring a careful balance between development goals and climate commitments.

Despite making significant strides in renewable energy and setting ambitious targets, India’s climate commitments, including its aim for net-zero emissions by 2070, face challenges especially in the wake of energy efficiency and coal dependence. With the urgency to accelerate energy transition and adapt to climate impacts, India’s path forward is crucial for both its own sustainability and its leadership in global climate action, Ankit Todi writes.

Jharkhand, a key contributor to India’s energy security, faces a transformative shift as the country moves towards its net-zero goals. Md Tariq Habib and Saarthak Khurana narrate how Jharkhand has the opportunity to lead in green job creation, focusing on renewable energy, clean mobility, and green hydrogen, while addressing social impacts and ensuring an equitable transition.

Alarming statistical evidence of women bearing the brunt of skewed social and gender dynamics, especially in the event a disaster strikes, calls for a change in the status quo. In this article, Priya and Neha Khanna advocate for gender-responsive climate budgeting in India to empower women, ensure climate resilience, and meet both gender equality and climate action goals.

With the role of nuclear-based energy in achieving net-zero energy emissions growing and technological advancements in the clean energy gaining momentum, all roads lead towards sustainable future in the energy sector. K Ramanathan, Venkittu Sundaram and Dr Arunendra Kumar Tiwari pen down their thoughts on why nuclear power is making its way back in India, the factors conducive for it and the big boom which it might see in the coming years.

India’s rapid urbanization, driven by rural-to-urban migration, has led to significant socio-economic challenges, with almost half of urban dwellers living in slums. Climate change, resource scarcity, and environmental degradation exacerbate these issues, putting pressure on cities’ infrastructure and health systems, Chetana Chaudhuri and Amit Mitra write.

Sikkim’s innovative building designs offer valuable insights into sustainable construction in cold climates. Priyanka Kochhar explains how projects like Khangchendzonga State University and Vrindavan Dham eco-tourism complex combine traditional knowledge with modern technology to create energy-efficient, comfortable spaces.

Aimed at providing farmers with locally prepared, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly bio-inputs as alternatives to chemical fertilizers; BRCs are emerging as crucial components in promoting sustainable agriculture in India. While the government has announced support for BRCs under the National Mission on Natural Farming, challenges such as lack of standardization, short shelf life, and financial sustainability must be addressed, Shweta Nikam reports.

In the world of global sustainability, not all impactful collaborations are visible. While major initiatives often make headlines, it is the smaller, less-recognized partnerships that truly drive long-term change. In this article, Siya Chopra and Mohd Shehwaaz Khan explore how organizations play a vital role in facilitating these hidden yet powerful partnerships.

By engaging students in green skills like renewable energy and waste management, higher education institutions are fostering innovation and promoting hands-on solutions to environmental challenges. Ravi Sankar Das, Monmi Barua and Taru Mehta detail how strategic collaborations with local schools and communities ensure that these initiatives have long-lasting impacts, empowering youth to sustain and expand these efforts.

Readers will agree, potential of carbon market as a source of climate financing for India is quite substantial, and very much forms the subject matter of this article. Penned by  Gopal K. Sarangi and Shingle Sebastian, the contents make us aware of both the need and relevance of  the climate finance, notably in the Indian context. In other words, how India can capitalize on this market.

Traditionally, climate finance has been perceived as a public sector endeavour on a global scale. A diverse class of investors globally are eager to contribute towards the war against global warming, but they require credible local platforms to effectively channelize funds. India’s ambitious plans, however, faced limitations due to the insufficient capacity of such institutions to match the agility, innovation, and profound understanding required. A significant void exists in sector understanding, hindering the flow of channelled capital into the sector. This void and its suitable filling form the subject matter of this article by Manish Chourasia. Tata Capital Limited (TCL), the flagship financial services company of the Tata Group, has been instrumental in this endeavour. The author explains how TCL’s Cleantech Finance arm has established itself as an ideal intermediary to connect global climate funds with Indian climate projects and companies.

Contributed by Astitva Rai and Dr Ruchi Agrawal, the present article has roots in tribal traditional knowledge. The authors haven’t left an iota of doubt how this wisdom that has passed through generations is an environmentally benign pathway towards realization of sustainable development in true means.

Article contributed by Shaurya Anand enhances our comprehension of the cooling solutions. As per the author, cooling is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity integral to modern life. While early cooling technologies posed significant environmental risks, the Montreal Protocol exemplifies how collective action, innovation, and progressive policymaking can address global challenges. As we transition to next-generation cooling technologies, the lessons learned from the protocol can guide us in building a resilient and sustainable future.

This piece of writing by Sanjay Seth and Sheen Pandita encapsulates the necessity of decarbonization of the built environment. The authors establish, the built environment must not only stand as a testament to progress but also to sustainability, resilience, and a shared vision for realization of net-zero future. 

India’s transport sector faces a significant surge in energy demand, driven by urbanization, economic development, and population growth. Despite its relatively low per capita emissions, the sector contributes about 12% of the country’s total carbon emissions. With the demand for transport energy projected to grow exponentially by 2070-71, Akshaya Paul, Rahul Chakraborty and Shreya Gupta share how a multi-faceted approach including cleaner technologies and strategic policies will be critical to decarbonize the sector.

In India’s ambitious bid to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070, a collective and concerted approach, involving multiple industries and stakeholders, is the need of the hour. With Article 6 of the Paris Agreement emphasizing on international collaboration, the project teams at IGES¹ and TERI² detail how India and Japan are engaging towards the goal by knowledge-sharing and technology transfer.

This article discusses the rising threat of urban heat, particularly in India, exacerbated by climate change and the El Niño effect. Penned down by Abhishek Acharya, Rajasree Ray and Sutanuka Sarkar, the article explores Urban Heat Island effect, outlines India’s adaptation efforts and emphasizes on the importance of local-level planning.

Despite substantial progress, the Green Climate Fund’s support for large developing nations, like India, remains insufficient. Reforms in the GCF’s processes and a focus on de-risking private investments will be essential to support India’s climate actions and meet global climate commitments, Abhishek Acharya, Pooja Verma and Rajasree Ray write.

In the article, Shruthi SP and Dr Vatsala Koul advocate for a multi-stakeholder approach to promote the use of biofertilizers, emphasizing the need for collaboration, innovation, and policy support to achieve sustainable and productive agriculture.

This article explores the potential of plant microbial fuel cells as a green, eco-friendly, and sustainable energy source. Dr Pranab Jyoti Sarma explores the potential and applications of PMFCs and various advantages it offers including waste utilization, carbon neutrality and environment sustainability.

The potential of lignin, a natural polymer, in revolutionizing sustainable agriculture is being explored in this article. Often discarded as industrial waste, lignin offers a solution to the inefficiencies of conventional fertilizers. Rohit Saxena and Dr Ruchi Agrawal talk about the growing demand for slow-release fertilizers and lignin’s cost-effectiveness, making it a promising alternative.

This article highlights the potential of nature-based solutions to address climate change challenges and drive sustainable development in Indian cities. Shivani Agrawal explains how public-private partnerships can play a vital role in scaling up NbS, ensuring a climate-resilient future for urban areas.

India's CSR spending trends from 2017 to 2023 reveal increasing participation, with education and healthcare remaining key focus areas. Ayush Rai, Anjali Sachdev and Dr Amit Kumar Thakur trace how India’s CSR has evolved through four significant phases going from philanthropy-driven actions to strategic business initiatives aimed at mitigating social issues.

By introducing a mandatory compliance mechanism and a voluntary offset system, the CCTS aims to help India meet its climate targets and support a low-carbon transition. The implementation of this scheme will help India contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while positioning the country as a global leader in climate action, Nishtha Singh and Alistair Ritchie write.

With India’s ambitious eye on Net-Zero 2070, the demand for clean energy is seeing a surge. The newer technologies based on renewable energy has put stress on the demand for critical minerals like copper, lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, among others. In this article, Animesh Ghosh and Soumit Pandey estimate India’s critical mineral demands in the years to come.

GPP prioritizes environment-friendly products in government procurement, aiming to reduce the nation’s ecological footprint. India’s efforts in this area began with the Draft Public Procurement Bill of 2012, followed by the formation of a Task Force on Sustainable Public Procurement in 2018. Saon Ray and Agastya Kushari delve into the requirements for successful implementation of GPP viz., robust policy framework, awareness, and scaling up of GPP tools.

Microbial eCBM technology provides numerous benefits, including environmental sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and improved productivity. Dr Meeta Lavania and Dr Banwari Lal discuss how through bio-stimulation and bio-augmentation, the process significantly increases methane production from coal seams, especially those with low permeability.

In this conversation with TerraGreen, Rushikesh Chavan, Head, The Habitats Trust, outlines the role of partnership in the context of sustainable development and climate solutions. As per him—the most crucial enabler for partnerships is a shift in mindset. We must transition from being gatekeepers to being aggregators, co-creators, and facilitators. True partnerships require empathy, active collaboration, and a hands-on approach.