VIEWS

• In a warming world, thermal comfort is no longer optional. It intersects with health, education, and productivity, writes senior research associate Shri Nidhi Gowthaman in an iFOREST blog.
• The Yamuna can be cleaned — but only if we abandon shortcuts, writes Chandra Bhushan in Indian Express along with co-authors Manoj Kumar Singh (former Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh) and Akhilesh Gautam (Former UN Specialist in WASH).
• Delhi’s air will not improve through gimmicks like cloud seeding or water cannons—it requires a regional airshed approach, writes Chandra Bhushan in the Times of India.
• Cloud seeding was never the solution for Delhi’s air pollution, writes Pratima Singh, in the Indian Express.,
• The Damodar Valley teaches us that transformation cannot be left to chance — it requires foresight, planning, and investment, writes Chandra Bhushan in the Civil Society.
• For developing countries, climate action is not a moral burden—it is an opportunity to drive green growth, ensure energy independence, create millions of new jobs, writes Chandra Bhushan in the Times of India.
• The climate crisis has outgrown the UNFCCC system. It now demands rapid implementation and hard political choices, writes Chandra Bhushan in Financial Express.
• If Delhi is serious about improving air quality, it must stop relying on ineffective, superficial solutions. The real solution lies in collaboration between the Central government and states, writes Chandra Bhushan in the Civil Society Magazine.
• Falling sick in Brazil showed me what India gets wrong about antibiotics, writes Chandra Bhushan in The Indian Express on India’s growing antibiotic resistance
• Solving India’s air pollution crisis requires a clean energy transition, writes Chandra Bhushan in the Times Of India urging for the need to acknowledge the impact and sources of our pollution crisis.
• To tackle the pollution crisis India needs it’s own solutions, writes Chandra Bhushan in Times Of India, not a replica of the Beijing model.
• India needs stronger, modernised environmental standards including better monitoring, clearer pollution limits, and regular updates to truly control industrial pollution,” says Sanjeev K Kanchana, Director, ESG and Industrial Decarbonisation in his interview for Revolve.

HIGHLIGHTS

Training to Strengthen Clean Air Action, Lucknow

Air pollution remains a growing challenge across South Asia, demanding stronger local capacity and coordinated action. To support this effort, iFOREST and ICIMOD hosted the first regional training under the ‘National Clean Air Programme – Planning, Implementation & Monitoring’ on ----in Lucknow, bringing together 31 senior officials from India and Nepal. The two-day programme focused on city-level clean air planning, hotspot strategies, digital monitoring tools, and peer learning, strengthening institutional capacity and fostering South–South collaboration to advance cleaner, healthier, and more resilient cities across the Indo-Gangetic Plain and Himalayan Foothills.

iFOREST at Renewable Energy India Expo 2025

On October 31, iFOREST joined GRIDCO Limited as knowledge partner at the Renewable Energy India Expo 2025 in Greater Noida, where Odisha—this year’s State Partner—showcased its renewable energy ambitions toward 10.96 GW by 2030. Mandvi Singh, Director Clean Energy moderated a session on ‘Accelerating Renewable Integration: Odisha’s Strategic Vision’, featuring key industry leaders. The discussion highlighted Odisha’s progressive policies, strong project pipeline, and growing investor confidence for emerging renewable energy regions.

Global Dialogue on Refrigerant Emissions at MOP37

Refrigerant leakage is fast emerging as one of the most critical climate risks linked to India’s growing cooling demand. To advance solutions, iFOREST hosted a side event titled ‘Addressing the Leak: Findings from India’s Largest Survey and Policy Gaps in Lifecycle Refrigerant Management (LRM)’ on November 4, 2025, during MOP37, Nairobi. iFOREST, shared insights from our first-of-its-kind national survey on AC use, refrigerant handling, and consumer behaviour. Discussions highlighted challenges in LRM implementation, climate-friendly alternatives, and financing models underpinning the urgent need for systemic reform to curb refrigerant emissions.

Training on National Clean Air Programme

South Asian cities continue to grapple with worsening air pollution, underscoring the need to strengthen capacity for clean air planning. To support this, iFOREST and ICIMOD organised the second regional training under the ‘National Clean Air Programme – Planning, Implementation & Monitoring’ on 5–6 November in Delhi. The two-day programme brought together 28 senior officials from Nepal and key Indian states to build technical and managerial skills for Clean Air Action Planning, fostering regional learning to advance cleaner, healthier, and more resilient communities.

Strengthening India’s State Climate Action Framework

For over a decade, India’s State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCCs) have guided climate action at the state level — but progress has often remained uneven due to capacity, finance, and coordination gaps. On November 7, 2025, iFOREST released its report ‘Strengthening State Climate Action Framework: Translating Ambition into Action,’ proposing key reforms to make SAPCCs more effective, better financed, and implementation-ready. Drawing on insights from MoEFCC, state climate cells, and financial institutions, the report charts a pathway to strengthen climate governance across states and districts.

Training for Mitigating Air Pollution, Mumbai

iFOREST organised a two-day training in Mumbai on 25–26 November for 24 senior officials from Urban Local Bodies across Maharashtra to strengthen clean air and dust management practices. The programme featured sessions by regulators, experts, and civil society organisations, focusing on clean air planning tools, hotspot strategies, and practical case studies from Indian cities, along with collaborative learning and experience-sharing.

First comprehensive ESG Benchmarking for Steel Sector

India’s steel industry is central to economic growth, but it remains one of the most carbon- and resource-intensive sectors. To support a low-carbon transition, iFOREST launched a landmark initiative on November 13, benchmarking ESG performance across Indian steel companies, developing a sector-specific BRSR supplement, and creating a unified GHG reporting template aligned with global best practices. These tools aim to strengthen transparency, disclosure quality, and climate accountability—positioning the steel sector to lead India’s green industrial transformation.

Advancing People-Centred Climate Action in Odisha

Climate action must deliver both environmental and social progress—and Odisha is taking important steps in this direction. At the Odisha Vikash Conclave on November 26, 2025, iFOREST, CYSD, and partners launched India’s first Climate Change and Just Transition Forum, alongside announcements on a Transition Fund and Energy Transition Policy. iFOREST also released “Building Odisha’s Green Workforce,” reinforcing that Odisha’s green transition must keep people and equity at its cor

Stocktaking Stubble Burning in 2025

Was the decline in stubble burning real or simply what we were able to see? iFOREST’s Stubble Burning Status Report 2025, released during an online webinar on December 8, 2025, reveals that the reported 90% drop in farm fires in Punjab and Haryana is largely due to gaps in the current monitoring system, which fails to detect many fires. Using a first-of-its-kind multi-satellite assessment, the report shows that a significant share of large fires goes unrecorded because they occur outside the satellite observation window.

Smog Tales Season-2

Air pollution is no longer a “Delhi problem” — it’s now choking cities and communities across India. This year, iFOREST’s Smog Tales – Season 2 travelled to Maharashtra, uncovering air pollution status in Thane, Amravati, Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Chandrapur. Through voices from the ground and expert perspectives, the series revealed how worsening air quality is affecting health, livelihoods, and daily life — while calling for urgent, people-centric action to secure clean air for all.

Accelerating India’s Clean Energy Transition

As India advances toward its goal of 500 GW of non-fossil energy, iFOREST participated in the Global Energy Leaders Summit 2025 in Puri, where senior leaders discussed pathways for a secure and sustainable energy future. iFOREST CEO Chandra Bhushan emphasised the need to accelerate electrification to boost renewable demand, while key outcomes included MoUs on renewables and green hydrogen and the Draft Puri Declaration to strengthen coordinated energy planning.

Launching a Roadmap for Cleaner Air in Guwahati

Air pollution is an emerging challenge for fast-growing cities like Guwahati, demanding coordinated and science-led action. To support this transition, iFOREST, in partnership with the Pollution Control Board, Assam, launched the Guwahati Clean Air Plan on December 17. A comprehensive, sector-wise roadmap to tackle the city’s key emission sources. The plan sets out a clear, evidence-based framework for coordinated implementation across agencies, defining roles, timelines, and priorities while strengthening policy integration and monitoring to secure sustained improvements in air quality.

Advancing Floating Solar Development in Assam

Assam is uniquely positioned to scale clean energy while strengthening rural livelihoods. To advance this opportunity, On December 18, 2025 iFOREST hosted a roundtable on “Accelerating Solar Deployment on Water Bodies in Assam,” in Assam bringing together AEDA, APGCL, IIT Guwahati, the Department of Fisheries, SIDBI, TERI, WRI, Guwahati University, and other experts. Discussions emphasized the promise of decentralised, livelihood-linked FSPV systems and the need for dedicated guidelines, smoother approvals, and innovative financing to turn Assam’s water bodies into engines of clean energy and climate resilience.

Pathways for Just Transition and Green Growth in Jharkhand

At the state-level conference “Pathways for Just Transition and Green Growth in Jharkhand” on 23 December 2025, iFOREST released a landmark study showing how Jharkhand can drive India’s net-zero transition by repurposing over 45,000 hectares of coal mining land for green industries such as green steel and electric vehicles. The report highlights major opportunities in renewable energy, low-carbon industry, and job creation—positioning Jharkhand as a key player in India’s green growth. Senior government and industry leaders stressed that planned, people-centred transition can transform the state’s economy while supporting workers and communities.

PARTNERSHIPS

iFOREST Partners with UPPCB to Strengthen Clean Air Action in Uttar Pradesh

The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) has partnered with iFOREST to strengthen air quality management and accelerate state-wide clean air action. Under this MoU, iFOREST will support the development of city-specific clean air strategies through scientific research, policy assessment, and implementation planning. The partnership will also focus on strengthening regulatory frameworks and compliance mechanisms under NCAP 2.0, helping advance coordinated, data-driven action for cleaner air across Uttar Pradesh.

Strengthening Air Quality Management in Varanasi

iFOREST collaborated with Nagar Nigam Varanasi, led by Municipal Commissioner Himanshu Nagpal, to strengthen the city’s air quality management. A stakeholder consultation was held to discuss key pollution challenges and identify coordinated, data-driven solutions, with participation from the UP Pollution Control Board, Department of Environment, Nagar Nigam, and other key agencies.

VIDEOS

COgreen Episode 7 | Crackers, Crops, and Clouds: What’s Polluting Our Air?

In October, COgreen featured a timely and data-driven conversation on North India’s recurring air-pollution crisis. From Diwali fireworks and stubble burning to vehicular emissions and newer interventions such as cloud seeding, iFOREST’s Director of Air Pollution and Waste Management, Pratima Singh, sat down with CEO Chandra Bhushan to unpack what truly drives North India’s annual smog. Watch Here

COgreen Episode 8 | COP30 & Climate Crossroads with Arunabha Ghosh

Don’t miss this important conversation between where Chandra Bhushan (CEO, iFOREST) and Arunabha Ghosh (CEO, CEEW & Special Envoy for South Asia to COP30) catch up for a conversation on likely outcomes at COP30, fissures in multilateralism, India’s adaptation plans, how it can step up to steer global climate governance and finally, how they each have their task cut out. Watch here.

A PEEK INTO THE NEXT QUARTER

In upcoming quarter, we’ll be releasing a special conversation with renowned artist, singer, and composer Joi Barua — as he sits down with iFOREST to talk about air pollution in Guwahati, how everyday actions shape the air we breathe, and how music can inspire awareness, climate action, and hope.

Ratnagiri District Development and Climate Action.

The plan identifies clear, sector-wise actions aligned with existing district plans and budgets. It is designed to enable concrete, on-ground implementation of climate-resilient development at the district level.

Repurposing Potential for Closed and Abandoned Mines

The assessment identifies, maps, and classifies land under closed, abandoned, and soon-to-close mines (by 2035) across coal and major non-coal sectors, while also evaluating repurposing strategies and the redevelopment potential of these sites.

National Workshop on Heat Pump Deployment in India.

The Workshop on Heat Pump Deployment in India will brings together diverse stakeholders to identify practical solutions and actionable recommendations for accelerating heat pump adoption, fostering collaboration, and aligning efforts with India’s climate and industrial development goals

The roadmap for integrating heat pump adoption into India’s climate strategy

The report outlines clear, actionable steps for refrigerant lifecycle management aligned with India’s cooling needs and climate goals. It calls for systemic reform through strong policies, institutional clarity, and practical strategies for safe refrigerant recovery, recycling, and reclamation.

Ward Councillor Engagement — Guwahati

iFOREST is working with ward councillors in Guwahati to translate the city’s Clean Air Plan into local, hotspot-based actions targeting key emission sources at the ward level.

Government Training — Guwahati & Varanasi

Targeted training programmes will equip government officials in Guwahati and Varanasi with practical tools, sector-wise strategies, and coordination frameworks to implement clean air action effectively.

Biomass Burning Study — India & Nepal

iFOREST is developing a regional framework to curb crop-residue burning across India and Nepal, identifying scalable, cost-effective CRM and diversification solutions for the Indo-Gangetic Plain.

Odisha Renewable Energy Investor Conclave 2026

The Odisha Renewable Energy Investor Conclave 2026 is a high-level forum to showcase Odisha’s renewable energy opportunities and investment-ready projects across technologies like floating solar, pumped storage, and battery storage. It aims to bring together policymakers, investors, and industry leaders to accelerate clean-energy deployment in the state.

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