A curated library of resources to learn about climate change

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) can help meet climate challenges, while securing food and energy needs across the globe. This article explains the CSA approach, the need to integrate renewable energy, and different innovations and technological responses to empower farmers.

This report aims to guide policy-makers through providing operational policy recommendations on how to ensure education is protected in Asia and the Pacific in the face of climate change and displacement, using a human rights-based approach.

In crises, children and young people are particularly vulnerable, losing access to education and related opportunities. This report aims to provide an overview of the educational vulnerabilities that climate displaced persons face and some guiding principles for ensuring their right to education.

South Asian countries are among the most vulnerable globally to the impacts of climate change. This article features educators from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, and India, actively advocating for climate education to be taught in schools – to build a sustainable, climate-resilient future.

This video details CGIAR’s efforts to improve the adaptability and resilience of farmers in relatively food insecure and vulnerable regions of India, and to use this evidence in supporting designs of large-scale climate adaptation programmes being implemented or being developed in India.

MSMEs are engines of growth; yet, they are not shielded against climate change-associated damage, uncertainties, and financial risks. This article emphasizes the need for robust evidence on climate vulnerabilities of MSMEs and how to build resilience to climate change.

This report gives an overview of how Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) is an effective and established solution for energy access, and discusses the potential of DRE to power enterprises and support livelihoods across the developing world.

This article identifies more than 30 measures smallholder farmers can pursue for climate change adaptation and mitigation, across five categories: animal production practices, rice-based measures, other crop-based measures, land-use change and intensification, and postharvest and processing loss.

This report sets out a framework that captures the climate performance of cities under national and international initiatives like the National Mission on Sustainable Habitat, Nationally Determined Contributions, Sustainable Development Goals, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Management.

This learning series aims to build a common understanding of cities about climate change and their role in mainstreaming climate actions through policies and regulations, planning and implementation of programs and projects.

This podcast episode reports on how residents of informal settlements in Delhi are tackling heat waves. It dwells on how climate risks are affecting one section of the society more severely, who the most vulnerable are, and why India needs to climate-proof its infrastructure.

This article explains the emerging concept of climate smart villages that can cope with adverse climate impacts. It details the need for technical support, funding, and above all community participation – and how stakeholders must focus on changing mindsets, disaster-proofing, and collaborative action.

This article explores the different impacts of climate change on the health of men and women, and the need to ingreate a gendered perspective into existing climate, development, and disaster-risk reduction policy frameworks, to reduce negative health outcomes.

This report attempts to draw attention to the unique space that girls and women occupy in the climate crisis today, and serve as a reference point for practitioners, policymakers, and academics alike to go deeper and wider into exploring the interlinkages between climate change and gender.

Although women are disproportionately affected by climate change, they aren’t just vulnerable to its effects. This short video explains how women are also effective agents of change in both adaptation and mitigation, and critical to climate action.

While gender has been increasingly factored into international climate policy, progress in India has been slow. This article examines how green recovery can build a new socio-economic model that is climate neutral, resilient, sustainable and inclusive

In this article, Manavi Bhardwaj (Senior Manager, ICC) and Paras Singh (Associate – Climate Solutions Platform, ICC) dwell on how to harness the potential of CSR funding for climate solutions that have development co-benefits, and outline how CSR can fund impactful solutions.

In this interview, P.S. Narayan (Global Head of Sustainability and Social Initiatives at Wipro Ltd., and Managing Trustee at Wipro Foundation) talks about how CSR funders can approach equitable climate action and inclusive climate solutions that address developmental needs.

In this article, Ashwini Saxena (CEO, JSW Foundation) reflects on how funders can re-imagine India’s development paradigm in the face of climate risks, and accelerate funding towards inclusive, innovative climate solutions through an effective climate solutions platform.

This report assess the extent to which philanthropists are currently working in the climate sphere in Asia, with a major focus on the Southeast Asia and South Asia regions, and provides recommendations to advance strategic climate philanthropy in the region.

More often than not, people are aware that their work and actions have climate adjacencies; but climate change, as a sector, is still viewed in isolation. This report makes climate linkages across sectors and projects clear through four case studies.

Mitigation can align climate action with long-term community well-being in India, by accounting for equity. Padma Venkataraman (Communications Associate, ICC) discusses how philanthropists are uniquely suited to build an equity lens into mitigation ambition, through available levers of impact.

In this article, Sameer Shisodia (CEO, Rainmatter Foundation) reflects on how to frame the climate crisis before devising solutions. Climate action must recognise the interconnectedness of different systems, that climate is a ‘place’ problem, and avoid problem-solving in silos, among others.

Climate change is cross-cutting, impacting multiple development priorities. Climate action is an important lens for domestic philanthropy to improve community-based projects, write Shloka Nath (CEO, ICC) and Isha Chawla, (Associate – Climate Solutions Platform, ICC).

While philanthropic capital is nimble and can take risks to support climate action, it isn’t always clear how it can be deployed for effective climate action. This guide provides a framework for climate philanthropy, offering key insights and best practices for high impact action and systemic change.

Climate change’s negative effects are coming to bear on high-priority philanthropic issues. This article explores how more and better funding can protect vulnerable stakeholders and speed up the net-zero transition across the world.

In this article, Shloka Nath (CEO, ICC) and Varad Pande (Sustainability Investor and Advisor), discuss five ways in which philanthropy can support strategic and systemic climate action – including supporting foundational research, capacity building, climate-friendly policy reform, and public awareness.

In this article, Mirik Gogri (Sustainability Investor, Spectrum Impact) dwells on how philanthropists can support the climate tech innovation landscape. For this, the philanthropic mindset must expand from assured immediate impact to the potential for long-term impact.

In this interview, Shloka Nath (CEO, ICC) talks about the catalytic role of philanthropic capital for climate action, the need for strong and inclusive climate leadership in the global South, and why climate philanthropy must focus on both mitigation and adaptation. 

Philanthropic giving to climate change mitigation has seen a significant increase, but this still accounts for a small fraction of overall giving globally. This report details funding trends in climate change mitigation philanthropy over seven years of funding data from 2015 to 2021.

While the public sector carries the weight of social sector spending in India, private philanthropy can step up and play a catalytic role in bridging the funding gap. This report assesses giving trends across CSR, family philanthropy, and others, in legacy causes and new ones like climate action.

Green finance flows in India are falling far short of the country’s current needs. This report evaluates private and public finance flows to key economy sectors (clean energy, clean transport, and energy efficiency), and builds a framework to track finance flows from source to end beneficiaries.

India needs increased climate finance to support mitigation and adaptation measures that address climate change. This infographic details global climate finance requirements, available finance, and key mitigation and adaptation areas that are receiving attention.

Worldwide, people are seeing their health increasingly affected by climate change amidst the compounding impacts of COVID-19 and the cost of living and energy crises. This article captures key findings from the 2022 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change.

The NPCCHH’s website provides the latest information on key government-led efforts to address public health, as well as guidelines on air pollution, climate resilient health facilties, and health advisories.

This article explains how air pollution is affecting global health, how it is related to climate change, and how countries can respond to it – as well as the need to measure and monitor it, identify sources, and disseminate air quality data to the public.

Climate change is aggravating health concerns including communicable diseases, undernutrition, mental illness, and allergies due to increasing risks. This article outlines the need to focus on both the climate and health crises, by accounting for direct and indirect climate impacts on health.

This short video captures key findings from the 2022 Lancet report on climate change and health. It explains how anthropogenic climate change has resulted in heat deaths, hunger, heat-related illnesses and infectious diseases, and stresses the need for immediate action to save millions of lives.

To sufficiently address long-term, slow-onset changes due to climate change, this report lays out a generic framework to assess and develop measures at various levels to deal with large scale climate vulnerabilities and residual risks that could contribute towards national loss and damage.

Climate change is affecting all aspects of human life and the natural world, leading to increasing losses and damages. This report recommends actions to reduce and manage both economic and non-economic losses and damages, with a focus on the role of governments

India experienced nearly one disaster a day in the first nine months of 2022 – and this is the new abnormal in a warming world. This report attempts to build an evidence base on the frequency and expanding geography of extreme weather events in India, and consolidate fragmented data.

This series breaks down The World Bank Group’s plans, policies, and tools for fighting climate change, with the help of experts. It focuses on the basics of diverse aspects – from carbon credits, net-zero, and climate/green finance to nature-based solutions and resilience.

The risks and impacts of climate change are disproportionately higher for vulnerable populations; measures to address climate change can also affect the less affluent more. This lexicon introduces readers to key concepts related to climate justice issues, using plain language and infographics.

Experts in the field are already familiar with the many terms and concepts related to climate change. But for those new to the discussion, it can be quite challenging to grasp everything at once. This regularly updated resource is helpful to keep up with the climate conversation.

Climate change terms can seem overwhelming to non-specialists and inaccessible. This set of open-access multilingual glossaries aim to bridge the gap between research and the general public, through a comprehensive list of the most frequently-used terms related to climate change. 

Over the last few years, the issue of loss and damage has become contentious in international climate negotiations, regarding which countries are liable to pay for damages suffered due to climate change. This video traces the issue till COP27, Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt.

This report outlines India’s international commitments and responsibilities to address global warming. It details India’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory, key mitigation priorities, domestic policies, and financial and capacity requirements, among others.

Limiting global cumulative emissions is the key to limiting global temperature rise. In this document, the Government of India lays out its approach to a low-carbon development pathway, accounting for India’s development challenges and traditions and culture that seek harmony with nature.

This report details five elements to enable a just transition in India, including restructuring the economy and industries, repurposing land and infrastructure, reskilling existing and skilling new workforce, revenue substitution, and responsible social and environmental practices.

Investors are yet to pay sufficient attention to the social impacts of climate change. This guide outlines a range of existing, well-tested investor approaches to enable a just transition, and provides a framework that individual institutions and collaborative initiatives can apply.

This report incorporates inputs from the 18-member Committe on Just Transition in the coal sector, constituted under the India-US Strategic Partnership. It addresses pre-requisites to enable a just transition, and the implementation of a just transition framework, among other things.

The world needs to radically switch to a sustainable, net-zero future. This transition needs to happen fast, but it also has to happen in a fair and inclusive way. This article breaks down the momentum around a just transition, and the benefits it offers to the world.

This podcast series shares perspectives from people involved in just transition efforts around the world — coal plant workers, local politicians, public health activists, scientists and more — to paint a picture of what a just transition should look like.

As climate and disaster risks increase, countries need support to build resilience. This guide outlines the impacts of climate and disaster risks on progress towards achieving the SDGs and suggests appropriate actions.

India needs to quickly develop equitable economic growth to meet the changing needs of its population, while also hitting national and global climate change targets. This article explores how India can shape the climate and energy transition agenda at a global level. 

India launched the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) in 2008 outlining eight National Missions on climate change, focusing on solar energy, sustainable habitats, water, strategic knowledge, etc. This Government website details the purpose of and progress on each Mission.

India’s Mission LiFE (Lifestyle For Environment) envisions replacing the prevalent ‘use-and-dispose’ economy with a circular economy, which would be defined by mindful and deliberate utilisation. This website provides an overview of LiFE and relevant resources.

Despite having contributed less to global cumulative emissions, India is showing strong climate leadership. This chapter from the Economic Survey 2023 details India’s engagement with international climate goals, adoption of strong net-zero goals, and integration of development with climate policy.

Ambition and prioritisation of climate action in national policies coupled with fuelling international cooperation can help India emerge as a global leader. This article assesses India’s Nationally Determined Contributions and areas of improvement post-COP27.

The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) tracks countries’ efforts to tackle climate change, enabling transparency in climate politics. This video summarises CCPI’s assessment of India’s climate performance, which now ranks fifth globally.

Highlighting the need to invest more in avoiding and reducing climate risks, this article focuses on sector-specific hazard-linked Nature-based Solutions that can restore and rejuvenate natural ecosystems, and mitigate the extent of loss and damage caused due to hydro-met disasters in India.

This guide highlights how funders and implementing entities can scale up investment for Locally-Led Adaptation (LLA), by showcasing 13 investment-ready delivery mechanisms across continents.

The report assesses the progress of adaptation actions across the world. It also highlights the benefits of actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help communities adapt, such as nature-based solutions, and calls for countries to step up funding and implementation of adaptation actions.

This short video explains how differing backgrounds, genders, and socio-economic realities play a key role in how people experience climate impacts, and why it is essential to account for these for effective decision-making processes.

This video discusses design interventions and land-use strategies for the most climate-vulnerable areas in the United States of America, and how experts are thinking about ‘everything change’ when it comes to design.

To make climate change more tangible beyond data, this docu-series captures how communities are building resiliences in some of India’s most climate vulnerable states, such as Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand.

This article breaks down climate change adaptation – focusing on what it means, the different focus areas for adaptation strategies (including climate risks like heat and floods, health, food, water, nature), and potential limits to adapting to climate change.

This video highlights key findings from the United Nations Environment Programme’s Adaptation Gap Report 2022. It assesses current global efforts, and examines global adaptation finance pathways.

This report analyses the current state of knowledge regarding the role of nature-based solutions in climate change mitigation, and how such solutions can contribute significantly to keep temperature rising to 1.5 degrees and achieve net-zero by 2050.

To aid India’s net-zero journey, this article summaries decarbonisation levers across six key sectors and focuses on four cross-cutting decarbonisation opportunities, including green hydrogen and natural climate solutions.

This working paper describes how India could make progress towards meeting its climate change mitigation commitments, which involve achieving net zero emissions by 2070, by electrifying public transport, decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors, and adopting renewable energy.

As growing climate change impacts are experienced across the globe, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced through a rapid transformation of societies. This report provides a clear roadmap for required actions.

This detailed presentation breaks down the state of climate change and decarbonisation; how the world got here, what needs to be done, new trends, and how to think about solving the climate crisis.

This video summarises key findings from the latest global assessment of climate change mitigation progress and pledges. Outlining developments in emissions reduction efforts, it also examines the impact of national climate pledges in relation to long-term emissions goals.

The Paris Agreement aims to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degree Celsius. This website tracks country-wise progress towards this goal, in terms of individual commitments and targets submitted toward mitigation and/or adaptation.

India has been active in global efforts to address climate change for over three decades. This article provides an overview of India’s engagement in such negotiations, and how its climate foreign policy behaviour can be explained.

There are multiple, feasible and effective options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to human-caused climate change. The latest IPCC report synthesises the latest climate science and available pathways for climate-resilient development.

Over the last several decades, governments have collectively pledged to slow global warming. This article provides a brief summary of international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and whether these country-led commitments are sufficient to avoid catastropic warming.

As countries implement their targets and policies and develop more detailed pathways to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, this interactive chart explores GHG emissions by country and economic sector to understand the global emissions picture and how it changes over time.

This report highlights how climate change impacts are wreaking an ever-increasing human, financial and environmental toll, worsening food insecurity and poverty, and holding back sustainable development. It amplifies water stress, and climate-induced economic losses, among others.

This study is India’s first-of-its-kind district-level climate vulnerability assessment. Through a climate vulnerability index of states and UTs, it analyses the combined risk and impacts of hydro-met disasters.

Global warming is bringing Earth’s climate system toward dangerous tipping points, with grave consequences for ecosystems and people. This video explores the actions needed to cut emissions radically, and identifies potential positive tipping points.

Scientific evidence shows that the current human-caused global warming of 1.1 degree Celsius is increasingly impacting nature and human lives, despite efforts to adapt to the changing climate. This video outlines the IPCC’s latest findings on the climate risks and impacts the world is facing.

Outlining India’s international commitments and responsibilities to address global warming, this report presents updated information on the National Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory based on the year 2016, including a sector-wise breakdown of emissions.

Human-induced climate change is largely attributed to excess greenhouse gas emissions. This interactive platform identifies important sectoral emissions drivers in India, across energy, agriculture, and land use change and forestry (LUCF), and their respective rankings compared to other countries.

This article provides an overview of seven climate indicators to describe the changing climate and monitor relevant domains, including the atmosphere’s composition, energy changes arising from the accumulation of greenhouse gases and other factors, and the responses of land, oceans, and ice.

As climate change pushes up global temperatures, this video explores the repercussions on India if the average global temperature breaches the 1.5 degree Celsius mark. How will this affect India in terms of temperature rise and rainfall? Will the entire country be equally affected?

Due to global warming and climate change, the world is warming faster than ever in recorded history, disrupting the balance of nature. This article details the causes of climate change, and the many risks it poses to humans and all other life forms on Earth.

Building the future we want requires an understanding of our collective past. This video explores the last 50 years of radical change—from food demand, water, population, ocean health, and beyond—to assess our current climate inflection point in context.

This report profiles India’s climate risks and impacts across natural factors such as climate, oceans, water, agriculture, forests; development priorities such as urban areas, health, and energy; and its effect on the country’s policies and economy.

Since the Industrial Revolution, humans have released over 1.5 trillion tonnes of carbon dioxide into the earth’s atmosphere. Emissions are rising – but they need to get down to zero. This video looks at countries’ emissions contributions, from highest cumulative emissions to per capita emissions.