Blogs
The blogs are part of WRI India’s mission to provide unbiased, expert analysis on the most important environmental issues facing the world today.
In today’s rapid-fire, fragmented information culture, we hope these insights will provide a measure of clarity to decision-makers worldwide.
Commentaries
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Executive Summary - State of Research and Development in Electric Vehicle Battery Technology
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Tracking India’s Evolving E-Mobility Startup Landscape
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Basics of Hydrogen Technology
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Accelerating Access To Wash And Healthy Spaces To Slum Communities In Urban India: Renewed Urgency Post COVID-19
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by , and - Abating Transport Emissions with Electric Vehicle Adoption in India
The COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill, but if there was any silver lining to this catastrophe, it was the slowdown in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions experienced during the second quarter of 2020. Across the globe, as clear blue skies ruled the COVID-19 lockdowns many countries glimpsed the potential benefits electric vehicles (EVs) can provide with zero tailpipe emissions.
India, being home to 21 out of the 30...
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by , and - Biomass Gasification: A Circular Economy Enabler for Hydrogen Production
This is the third in a series of blogs on hydrogen, which will involve discussions around range of biomass gasification technologies currently available, and low-carbon hydrogen production capabilities and opportunities from the same. Read the first here, and the second here.
Given India’s vast organic waste and resource generation potential and the expected exponential increase in the quantum of waste,...
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by and - Mitigating Climate Impacts, One Click at a Time: Opportunities for E-commerce in Reducing Emissions from Urban Freight
This blog was first published on sufcoalition.org on April 19, 2021.
On 10 November 2021, the thematic day for transport sector at the COP26, the events will focus on galvanizing actions to decarbonize the transport sector. Within this sector, logistics accounts for 40% of global transport CO2 emissions. In India...
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by and - Complete Decarbonization of 2-Wheeler Segment in India by 2030: Expected e-2Ws Sales and Battery Capacity Requirement
Endeavouring on a path of limiting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, India has bid a major stake in the decarbonization of its road transportation through a slew of progressive policy measures. Close to 80% of vehicles on Indian roads are two-wheelers (2Ws), making India undoubtedly the world’s largest untapped EV market in the 2W segment. Presently, electric two-wheelers (e-2Ws) account for approximately...
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by , and - More than half of all e-buses in India found on Maharashtra roads
This is the first in a series of blogs on the growing deployment of electric buses across the country. The series is a deep-dive on investments from both central and state governments and the role of e-buses in mitigating the impacts of climate change.
Over the last few years, several state governments have not only notified progressive electric vehicle policies but have also started investing in electric buses – reflecting their commitment towards mitigating impacts of climate change. While state governments are loosening their purse strings to purchase new-age buses,...
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by , and - COP26: Unpacking India’s Major New Climate Targets
India made an eagerly awaited announcement of new climate action targets at the COP-26 summit in Glasgow. This included:
- Installing non-fossil fuel electricity capacity of 500 GW by 2030
- Sourcing 50% of energy requirement from renewables by 2030
- Reducing 1 billion tonnes of projected emissions from now till 2030
- Achieving carbon intensity reduction of 45% over 2005 levels by 2030
- Achieving net zero by 2070.
These new pledges go significantly beyond its current nationally determined contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement....
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by , and - Resurrecting Public Spaces in a post-Covid India
This blog was first published on NIUA.org on October 21, 2021.
The COVID-19 lockdown, imposed around the world, has triggered unprecedented changes in the lifestyle and behaviour of individuals. Restrictions on use of public spaces and physical distancing...
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by and - Moving from City-Wide Vulnerability Assessments to Localised Community Resilience Actions
This blog was first published on NIUA.org on September 29, 2021.
Cities around the world are experiencing flooding, heatwaves and other climate-related disasters. The frequency and intensity of these disasters have amplified over the last few decades resulting in increased inequalities among communities. Ensuring equitable climate action will help support liveable neighbourhoods for people across demographic groups.
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by and - Bottlenecks for Rooftop Solar in Indian Cities and How to Address them
This blog was first published on NIUA.org on September 8, 2021.
Indian cities have figured intermittently in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)’s solarization plans. In 2014-2015, the MNRE launched the Solar Cities program to ensure a minimum of 10% reduction in the projected demand for conventional energy in five years through a combination of Energy Efficiency (EE) and...
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by and - How Indian Cities Could Become Climate Resilient
This blog first appeared on NIUA.org on August 4, 2021.
India’s buildings were responsible for 31% of all electricity consumed in 2017-18 (MOSPI 2020) and by 2040, this is expected to rise to half of all power consumed in the country. By 2040, India is expected to add 270 million people to its cities (IEA 2021). What is more, ongoing rapid urbanization would mean that over half the country’s population would be living in cities in less...
