Transitions Research

While AI offers potential for climate action, from optimising renewable energy grids to enhancing climate modelling, its environmental footprint is also substantial and growing. How do we address this double-edged sword? Angelina Chamuah, Programme Director of Future Foresight, along with Lianne D'Souza, Researcher at Transitions Research and Assistant Professor at National Law School of India University, unpack in how India can align its AI ambitions with climate goals in their latest Hindustan Times piece, "Aligning India’s AI Future with Climate Goals." As India navigates its dual imperatives of technological innovation and climate responsibility, this piece proposes measures on how these goals can be aligned. Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/gtyqT2M9

Most jobs will soon become green jobs. More than half of the developing world’s GDP is impacted by climate change. 🌏 A skilled workforce—currently lacking in India and many parts of the developing world—is essential for driving the transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient future. Join us on December 12th at 5:30 PM (IST) for an engaging dialogue featuring Rwitwika Bhattacharya, CEO & Founder of Swaniti Global Initiative, and Raisha Galib, Accelerator Design Specialist at Climate Asia. The discussion will be moderated by Shantha Tara Venugopal Research Associate at Transitions Research and host of the Monsoon Academy Podcast, an educational series on climate careers. We’ll explore critical skill gaps, strategies for equipping youth for green jobs, and ways to ensure inclusion for low- and middle-income communities in this transition. 💼🏙️🌱 🔗 Register now: https://lnkd.in/duJmHfmD Let’s build a sustainable and inclusive workforce together!

Informal settlements are disproportionately vulnerable to climate risks, yet financing for urban climate adaptation often overlooks these areas. Investments remain low due to challenges like legal ambiguities, complex governance, and the absence of immediate financial returns. ⛺️🌦️ To build resilient cities, we must address these financing gaps and develop innovative models that integrate informal contexts into broader urban adaptation strategies.🏙️ Transitions Research co-authored a report with Global Resilience Partnership, “From Informality to Impact” which explores actionable insights on bridging this critical gap and fostering inclusive urban resilience. 🔗 Link to the report: https://lnkd.in/gx6qN958

Green jobs are critical in addressing climate change, yet less than 10% of India's youth have received any formal or informal training in green skills. So, how do we prepare the workforce to take up these jobs? What are the most critical skill gaps that need to be addressed? 💼🌱 Our upcoming dialogue, “Can Green Jobs Address the Youth Unemployment Crisis?” on December 12th, at 5:30 pm (IST), aims to explore two significant issues: the worsening climate crisis and youth unemployment. 🔗 Registration link: https://lnkd.in/duJmHfmD Through this timely conversation, we hope to discuss potential approaches to directing unemployed youth—especially those from low- and middle-income backgrounds—towards green jobs.

Are you interested in exploring how to bridge the gap between research and practice? In the field of climate careers, academic research is the first step toward making any on-the-ground, actionable impact. However, translating research into practice presents its own unique challenges. In the latest episode of the #MAP (Monsoon Academy Podcast), Dr. Chandni Singh (Lead - Practice at Indian Institute for Human Settlements), shares insights from her successful career as an environmental social scientist, offering a glimpse into what it's like to build a career in climate research. Listen Now: https://lnkd.in/gbGAq-Ru

#ClimateEmergency | India’s transition to a net-zero society is contingent on not only innovation and improvements in low-carbon technologies but also people’s willingness to adopt them. While often overlooked, both individual and collective action are critical for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in key sectors such as energy generation, electricity consumption, and mobility. In India, mobility-related emissions have increased by 224 percent between 2000 and 2019 and contribute to one-fifth of Indian households’ carbon footprints. Rapid urbanisation and rising incomes are driving more and more households to acquire private, motorised vehicles. However, innovations in this sector, especially around road transport electrification, hold significant potential for advancing decarbonisation goals. According to the International Energy Agency, “A battery electric car sold in 2023 will emit half as much as conventional equivalents over its lifetime.” This has captured the imagination of governments around the world, including India’s, which has set targets of 30 percent of private car sales and 80 percent of private two-wheeler sales to be electric by 2030. But how can more people be encouraged to buy electric vehicles (EVs)? In this article, Ashali B. highlights how salespersons have the potential to motivate customers to purchase EVs, but how due to lack of training, biases, and other barriers, they are unable to effectively do so. Read this article to learn more about how this affects India's energy transition goals. Transitions Research https://lnkd.in/d6284Ena

Indian manufacturers are increasingly adopting the Bureau of Energy Efficiency's Star Labelling System, resulting in improving energy efficiency in urban Indian households. In our latest blog 'Incentivising Energy Efficiency in Urban Indian Households', we analyse policies and behavioural barriers to suggest the role of energy efficiency in urban households in India's net zero drive. 🔗Link to the blog: https://lnkd.in/dpb3TYFX

Why Does Urban Resilience in Informal Contexts Matter? Climate change and rapid urbanisation pose immediate challenges to cities’ and their ability to sustainably manage growth. People living in informal settlements and working in informal jobs face heightened risks from flooding, heatwaves and landslides due to a lack of essential infrastructure like drainage, waste management, and reliable access to water and energy. In light of emerging climate risks, we must prioritise these settlements but they are currently overlooked. Transitions Research co-authored a report with Global Resilience Partnership, “From Informality to Impact” which identifies opportunities for scaling resilience innovation in informality, and provides recommendations for enabling policy and investment approaches for the profit and not-for-profit resilience solutions market. 🔗 Link to the report in the comment section below 👇

🗓️ Last week, Team Transitions Research gathered in Goa for an off-site that brought fresh perspectives and deepened our shared mission 🌏. Three days filled with amazing energy ⚡, inspiring ideas 💡, and valuable time to connect 🤝, reflect 🧘, and reimagine our path forward together. 🚀 🌱 More soon! 🔜

"In 2050, Panaji will be a culturally vibrant and sustainable city where urban nature thrives, and people are socially connected. Our distinct heritage and community values will be alive and flourishing; the economy will be driven by sustainable local businesses; and people will be encouraged to engage in civic life." – This is how the residents of Panaji envision the city’s net zero future. 🌇 As policymakers, thought leaders, and decision-makers meet at #COP29 to discuss important climate goals, we continue to listen closely to the voices of our community to ensure their aspirations are recorded and represented. If you are a resident of Panaji, we encourage you to read our latest report here : https://lnkd.in/gJ4f6a9V and share your feedback and vision for the city’s future through this survey: https://lnkd.in/gkvXXPNu