India's year in climate: 2024's top climate headlines
My pick of the top 10 stories that defined India's year in climate
2024 saw some of the worst impacts of climate change so far, all over the world and definitely in India. That statement may come true for every year that follows. But for now, 2024 felt hotter than ever before. The air quality saw severe deterioration with many cities joining Delhi in the ‘AQI breaches 300’ club. The summer saw some of the most acute water shortages and extreme weather events such as cyclones and heatwaves continued to wreak havoc. There were a few green shoots in increasing renewable power, electric vehicle penetration and some policy interventions that hold hope.
So overall, it was a very grim picture with a few green shoots. And what better way to get a sense than by flipping through the biggest climate headlines of the year.
So here’s my pick up of the top 10 climate stories from 2024 in the classic ‘sunny-stormy’ style.
⛈️ Stormy news ⛈️
1. The Indian summer: Heat wave season 2024
(May)
In the middle of a general election, India is experiencing record breaking heatwaves.
This was early May.
By the end of the month we had:
Delhi orders schools to shut down early as it braces a severe heat wave
What is happening?
India’s weather bureau has warned of “severe heatwave conditions” this week, reaching a peak of 47.4C in Delhi’s Najafgarh suburb on Monday – the hottest temperature countrywide.
As a result, the Delhi administration has ordered schools to close early for holidays as temperatures hit 47.4C
Authorities in other states – including Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan – have also ordered schools to close
Humans are not the only ones getting impacted. There have been reports of birds becoming ill due to the extreme heat and also dying due to a heat stroke.
Why does this matter?
India is used to searing summer temperatures, but years of scientific research have found the climate crisis is causing heatwaves to become longer, more frequent and more intense.
This is yet another example of how extreme weather precipitated by the climate crisis will affect our daily lives - from when our kids study to how we work.
Sources for further reading:
Sources for further reading
2. Delhi’s air quality at hazardous levels yet AGAIN. AQI levels consistently above 400 for days!
(November)
What is happening?
Delhi faces a severe environmental crisis as the AQI hit hazardous levels in multiple areas.
AQI in some parts of Delhi crossed 1000 according to a report by the Swiss air tech company IQAir
The Sameer app, which provides hourly update of the National Air Quality Index published by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), put the AQI at 401 - 500.
The SC has ordered the implementation of GRAP 4 (the highest level of the action plan to curb pollution) across all NCR states, and explicitly said that “the curbs are to be in force even if AQI drops below 400”.
Delhi’s air quality became a key focus at COP 29 as experts warned about the health risks of air pollution and called for immediate global action.
What is AQI?
AQI is Air quality index and is calculated using the levels of 6 different pollutants.
Overall lower the AQI the better.
India’s AQI chart - Anything above 200 is considered poor.
Why is this happening?
Delhi’s dismal air quality as winter sets in has become a yearly ritual and has been blamed on stubble burning by rice farmers in Punjab and Haryana for years. However, more and more research is showing that they are not actually the biggest drivers. Farm fires have gone down significantly over the last couple of years, but the poor air quality remains.
According to a recent report vehicular emissions, road dust, construction activities are biggest contributors to the poor air quality.
Why does this matter?
Poor air quality has major impacts on health. It can result in severe respiratory and cardio-vascular disorders and even cancer.
A report last year had said that breathing Delhi’s air was like smoking 10 cigarettes as day!
Why are we talking about this in a ‘climate newsletter’?
While the poor air quality is not caused by the climate crisis, the sources of emissions that cause global warming and air pollution are the same - coal powered plants, vehicular emissions, waste burning etc.
Sources for further reading
3. Devastating landslides in Wayanad
(August)
What is happening?
Wayanad saw devastating landslides on July 30 which have killed ~400 people so far with ~150 people still missing
What can this be attributed to?
The human toll and destruction from the landslide can be attributed to a combination of extremely heavy rainfall + unplanned development in an ecologically sensitive region.
The Wayanad district saw very heavy (200 mm+) of rainfall on July 30.
The Wayanad region is an ecologically sensitive region highly prone to landslides. Then, there has been significant development in the Wayanad region over the last few decades. The development has increased the propensity of the landslides itself.
Additionally, the development in the region has increased the density of people living there, putting more people at risk.
Why does this matter?
Like Wayanad, several ecologically sensitive regions in India are seeing unplanned and thoughtless development. The tragedy in Wayanad should serve as a wake up call to other places as such events could very well happen elsewhere driven by a combination of higher probability of extreme weather events induced by climate change.
Sources for further reading
4. Microplastics found in all salt and sugar brands in India
(August)
What are we talking about?
According to research published by Toxic Links, a Delhi based NGO all packaged salt and sugar brands in India contain microplastics.
This study analysed 10 salt brands and five sugar brands, and found microplastics ranging from 6.71 pieces per kilogram to 89.15 pieces per kilogram in them.
Why does this matter?
Today, there are microplastics and nanoplastics all around us — in every corner of the world, inside every living being, in the air we breathe, and the water we drink. This study is just another finding in an already long and surprising series.
Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic ranging in size from five millimetres to one micrometres.
Microplastics can be extremely harmful to human health. Studies on microplastic accumulation in the body have shown an association with cardiovascular health problems resulting in heart attacks or strokes. They have also shown that they could be carcinogenic, with particles smaller than one micrometre having been found inside cancer cells.
Sources for further reading
5. An update on the Bangalore water situation - it’s only getting worse!
(March)
What are we talking about?
Last week we spoke about the acute water crisis in Bangalore, some of the underlying causes and what some long term solutions could look like.
The situation is only getting worse. So here’s a short update on what’s happened in the last fortnight.
Update from the last fortnight
Over 30 localities are now receiving water on a rotational basis only every alternate day
Government to take control of water tankers that draw water from borewells and supply it to private residences and restaurants.
BBMP has announced a ban on use of drinking water for gardening and other non potable uses.
Some residential societies are not receiving water at all or such little water that citizens are not able to carry out basic activities like using toilets or cooking!
There have been calls for ‘work from home’ from citizens concerned about the water situation and looking to leave Bangalore for the summer months
There are no major rains in sight, at least for a month
Sources for further reading:
6. ‘Climate change’ makes it to party manifestos (somewhat) but gets no talktime campaigns in India’s elections
(May)
India, the world's largest democracy, is experiencing some of the worst impacts of climate change. Yet 'climate change' is not really an election issue.
What is happening?
Unprecedented climate-change disasters – prolonged heatwaves, flash floods, drought, agricultural devastation and landslides – are affecting people in India.
‘Sustainable Bharat’ features as a section in the BJP manifesto and ‘Environment, climate change and disaster management’ features in the Congress manifesto, albeit on the last page.
However, discussions on climate change and its impacts have got no voice share in actually campaigning and political debates
In interesting trivia, India actually has registered political party - iGP (India Green Party)! It was founded in 2017 and is fielding a grand total of 3 candidates in the current general elections.
Why does this matter?
The conversation on ‘climate change’ needs to becomes mainstream and one way for that to happen is that it becomes an important part of the political narrative.
Laws and policies have a huge role to play in addressing the issue of climate change. Hence, it’s important that issued related to climate change feature in political debates and we understand what a political party’s stance is on them, as an indicator of the kind of policies it is likely to put in place were it to come to power.
If you are interested in this, you can read a deep dive I wrote:
☀️ Sunny news ☀️
7. Indian Supreme Court says “Right against adverse effects of climate change” is a fundamental right
(April)
Background on the case
The case in question was not directly related to climate change. It was a petition to the Supreme court to protect the Great Indian Bustard and the Lesser Florican, both of whom are on the verge of extinction. These birds are mostly found in Rajasthan. The petitioners asked for a restriction on overhead transmission lines as the birds were getting caught up in the power lines and dying.
In April 2021, SC had ordered restrictions on the setting-up of overhead power transmission lines in an area covering about 99,000 square kilometres.
However, this restricted setting up of new wind and solar plants in that area (Rajasthan is one of the most suitable areas for solar and wind power generation)
The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, Ministry of Power, and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy approached the SC, seeking modification this ruling given the importance of solar and wind power to meet India’s renewable energy goals.
What has happened now?
In a March 2024 order, that was made public last week, the SC has modified its 2021 order on account of the importance of renewable power in combatting climate change.
Highlights from the March 2024 SC statement:
India’s commitment to transition away from fossil fuels is not just a strategic energy goal but a fundamental necessity for environmental preservation.
“Articles 21(Right to life) and Article 14 (Right to equality) are important sources of the right to a clean environment and the right against the adverse effects of climate change.”
“There is no single or umbrella legislation in India on climate change. However, this does not mean that the people of India do not have a right against the adverse effects of climate change”
Why does this matter?
This is not the first time, the SC has ruled to protect the environment. There have been previous rulings where the court has said that citizens have the right to clean air and a clean environment
It is however the first time the SC has recognised protection against the havoc caused by climate change as a distinct fundamental right in itself
The SC also recognises the lack of an overarching legal framework on climate change in India and recognises climate change litigation happening in other parts of the world.
This judgement thus paves the way for legal accountability of actions that undermine meeting climate targets and is expected to significantly influence jurisprudence on climate governance in India.
Sources to read further:
8. Mumbai published its first climate budget!
(June)
Mumbai’s first ever Climate Budget is here!
Highlights from Mumbai’s first climate budget
BMC has allocated INR 10,224 cr for climate-relevant activities. This accounts for 32% of the total BMC budget.
The biggest chunk - INR 9,700 cr (i.e. 97% of the total climate budget) is going towards urban flooding and water resource management. Other major areas include INR 260 cr for waste management and INR 177 cr for urban greening and biodiversity.
Mumbai is the first city in India and only the 4th city in the world to publish a climate budget following Oslo, London and New York.
What is good?
This is a great start. Getting a city to adopt a climate budgeting process is no mean task.
It has established a baseline and tells us where we stand.
It has mainstreamed 'climate priorities' with 20+ departments now tracking the climate impact of their initiatives.
And finally, given this is part of a budget it will get audited and reviewed building accountability and transparency.
What is not so good?
A whopping 97% has gone towards just 1 action area from Mumbai's climate action plan - urban flooding and water management.
And even in this, most of it seems to be allocated to maintaining stormwater drains, building pipes etc. with a measly 0.07% going towards localised water conservation and efficiency!
What about the other risk areas - urban heat, cyclones, air quality, emission reduction etc.? They seem to be lagging severely in budgetary allocations
Why do we still call it ‘Sunny’ news?
All in all, it's a great start and kudos to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and World Resources Institute for the incredible effort of publishing Mumbai's first climate budget. We will need to do better, be more honest, take a more comprehensive approach and really put our money where our mouth is if we do really want to keep 'Aamchi Mumbai' a thriving city that survives on the other side of the climate crisis.
But here’s to applauding the first step!
If you are interested in this, you can read a deep dive I wrote:
9. India now has guidelines for prevention of ‘Greenwashing’
(October)
What is ‘Greenwashing’?
Greenwashing refers to “the practice of making products, activities, or policies seem more environmentally friendly or less environmentally damaging than they actually are”
If a T-shirt is labelled as ‘recycled’ but actually only the buttons on the T-shirt are recycled while the T-shirt is made from regular (new) polyester, it is what you could call ‘Greenwashing’
What is happening?
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) issued guidelines called the Prevention and Regulation of Greenwashing or Misleading Environmental Claims, to control greenwashing in consumer markets aiming to bring in greater transparency and accountability.
Key dos and don’ts:
Generic terms such as ‘clean’, ‘green’, ‘eco-friendly’, ‘eco-consciousness’, ‘good for the planet’, ‘minimal impact’, ‘cruelty-free’, ‘carbon-neutral’, ‘pure’, ‘sustainable’, and ‘regenerative’ cannot be employed without adequate qualifiers and substantiation.
If a product is marketed as sustainable, it must be backed by reliable data and documentation
If a product is described as recyclable, the advertisement must be clear if that applies to the product’s entire structure or just a specific part.
Call for use of consumer-friendly language when introducing technical terms such as environmental impact assessment, greenhouse gas emissions, and ecological footprint.
Why does this matter?
Companies often make dubious claims about their products or services being environment- or climate-friendly to enhance their brand image.
This has become increasingly rampant as consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious and looking for ‘environment-friendly’ alternatives.
A lot of the language used in advertisements is either generic (what exactly ‘eco-friendly’ mean?) or misleading (labelling a product as made from recycled materials when only a small part of it is made from recycled material), hence some guidelines that keep a check on this are much needed.
How this gets enforced remains to be seen, but this is a start!
Sources for further reading
10. A case study from India: How cities are electrifying their bus fleets in an innovative effective way
(December)
What are we talking about?
We are talking about a financial model run by Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL) - a govt. owned enterprise set up in 2020 to promote renewable energy - that is helping Indian cities electrify their bus fleets.
When CESL was set up in 2020, its leader Mahua Acharya, had an impossible task - To electrify India’s fleet of public buses, which transport 128 million people a day.
The solution: She grouped together 5 major cities for 2 giant acquisitions of buses. They called it the ‘Grand challenge’. Instead of buying buses, the cities would bid out to private companies the opportunity to run the entire bus service over 12 years. Each manufacturer—including Tata Motors Ltd., India’s largest bus maker—assembled a consortium of operators to provide the drivers, e-buses, battery replacements, charging stations and maintenance. The groups would compete for a contract that specified a per-kilometer price.
The result:
The municipalities ended up paying just shy of INR 49/km, 27% less than the cost of operating with CNG without the need for subsidies.
It enabled commissioning of 29,000 e-buses by 2024, up from fewer than 500 four years ago.
Why does this matter?
Electrifying city bus fleets brings many benefits
Reduce air pollution - Many of our cities have been in the news for their terrible air quality over the last few years. In fact, Indian cities have some of the most polluted air in the world. Switching from diesel powered vehicles to electric ones is a very effective way of reducing air pollution in the city.
In line with net zero goals - This takes us closer to meeting out net zero goals. While majority electricity generated in India is still coal powered, and it will take us some time before we shift completely to renewable power, setting up the supporting infrastructure - EV manufacturing, batteries, charging stations - that we are doing as we move to electric buses, is also an essential part in reaching the net zero goal.
Acharya’s approach could be a model for climate and transportation around the developing world. 9 countries, including Brazil, Kenya and Mexico, as well as the European Union are looking to replicate her approach
Sources for further reading
I publish a climate news digest every week. You can find all the news digests fom 2024 here.
Donald J. Trump Energy Pick a Climate Denier! - Chris White
Chris White rises, darkened skies,
A fossil fuel pawn in a green disguise.
With polished lies and a corporate tie,
He paves the path where safeguards die.
Regulation falls, the planet weeps,
Profit’s throne is where he keeps.
“Clean coal” dreams and geo plans,
A future scorched by his own hands.
Loyalists lurk, sabotage grows,
Renewable progress meets sharp blows.
Independence? A clever spin,
While Earth pays for the corporate sin.
The truth is clear, the stakes are high,
Resist the schemes, don’t let hope die.
GQ
Chris White: Trump’s Energy Secretary Pick
Chris White’s appointment as energy secretary represents a calculated shift toward environmental degradation. Behind his polished image lies a network of corporatism and corruption, eroding ecological safeguards to benefit powerful fossil fuel interests.
White’s career is deeply tied to the fossil fuel industry, notably through his tenure at BlackHydra Energy, a multinational linked to global environmental destruction. His policies promote deregulation disguised as economic growth, enabling unchecked resource extraction and dismantling of green initiatives like methane emission standards. Token gestures like subsidizing “clean coal” distract from his broader agenda.
Though White postures as a technocrat, his disdain for climate science is clear. He champions speculative geoengineering projects that gamble with Earth’s climate systems while ignoring urgent carbon reduction efforts. His dismissal of scientific consensus fosters public doubt and stalls meaningful climate action.
White’s true power lies in bureaucratic sabotage. By embedding loyalists into regulatory agencies, he obstructs environmental reviews, benefiting corporate polluters. His attacks on renewable energy, framed as “energy independence,” polarize public discourse and delay the transition to sustainability.
Ultimately, White’s tenure accelerates environmental degradation for short-term profit, threatening the planet’s future. Recognizing and resisting this trajectory is critical to preserving a livable world.
GQ