General

The massive policy push to electric vehicles (EVs) has prompted India to gear up for large-scale adoption of EVs, with state-wise targets to electrify private as well as public vehicles. Though a report by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) estimates the penetration of EVs in the private car segment to reach almost 10% by 2030, today it stands at a dismal 1%. 

With 22 Indian cities in the top 30 most polluted cities in the world (IQAir, 2020), our new dependence on pollution management at receptors — such as smog towers, water sprinkling on roads, etc. — will fail miserably unless we prioritise source correction. We lack the capacity to remove all particulate or gaseous pollutants as no existing filtering technology can handle India’s current emission rates.

The report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirms what we have known all along—the dynamics of climate are being rewritten irrevocably. With the internationally agreed threshold of 1.5°C perilously close to becoming a reality, pressure will mount on India to agree to a net-zero target. The third largest emitter in the world, which has been holding out due to developmental needs, is bound to feel the heat to conform to carbon neutrality by mid-century or thereabouts.

In his Independence Day address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned India spends over Rs 12 lakh crore on importing energy, and that domestic energy production will be a policy priority for the country.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) sixth assessment report (AR6) of working group 1 — ‘The Physical Science Basis’ has reinforced our worst fears about the state of climate. The signs of climate change have been visible for some time now. Extreme events in different parts of the world — heat waves in North America, floods in Europe and Asia, and droughts in Africa — have left a trail of destruction and death, challenging the disaster management systems in place.

A monthly newsletter featuring CSTEP commentary, publications, events, and other developments.

This is CSTEP's Annual Report for the year 2020-21.

In this year’s annual report, we look at a Resilient CSTEP. We did not let the uncertainties and complexities posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to affect our work, which continued unhindered without compromising on the heath and well-being of our employees. All our Sectors and support functions worked in harmony to ensure seamless transition to a Work-From-Home arrangement. CSTEP continued to create an impact and enrich the lives of people through new initiatives and collaborations.