All activities at TERI move from formulating local and national-level strategies to suggesting global solutions tackling critical energy and environment related issues. Headed by Dr. R.K. Pachauri, also the chairperson of the Nobel Peace Prize winning climate change body, IPCC, TERI has emerged as an institution of excellence for its path-breaking research, and is a global brand widely respected by political leaders, policy makers, corporate entities as well as the civil society at large.

IPCC presents its Fifth Assessment Report

By Deepak Arora

NEW DELHI, Aug 6: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) presented the findings of the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) to governments, civil society, the scientific community, media and other stakeholders at an outreach event held here on Wednesday. Titled ‘IPCC AR5 – What it means for a stronger, more inclusive India’, the event focused on the implications of the AR5 findings for India and for countries in South Asia, with a view to communicate the report’s findings effectively to India’s public and decision-makers, as well as to increase the accessibility of the report and promote discussion and connections between diverse stakeholders.

This event was organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), in co-operation with the IPCC and the Climate Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), and in partnership with the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, and the TERI-Business Council for Sustainable Development. The event featured several authors from the IPCC’s three working groups, who presented their overviews of the report and discussed special topics of interest to the region.

Mr Prakash Javadekar, Minister of State for Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, Government of India, said: “Extraordinary situations demand extraordinary solutions. Our problems cannot be solved through the present levels of awareness. People’s participation is crucial for developing and implementing environmental programs. For instance, cleaning rivers like Ganga and Yamuna will not succeed unless we make it a mass movement.”

“Our Indian ethos has always been in tune with Nature. But science is dynamic and one must believe in it. While GM crops are important, proper precautions need to be taken. Though growth as priority might lead to increased emissions, India is still is committed to sustained green growth,” Javadekar added.

Mr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Government of India, said: “If India has to realize its dream of becoming a world power, we will have to invest in science and technology, which will be the basis for change. Our government has taken several initiatives, including exploring the cost-effectiveness of developing indigenous small satellites. We also need our youth to develop a scientific bent of mind, and our government will encourage our young Indian scientists to become a part of the global scientific community.” Many eminent persons participated in the event, including Dr Ashok Khosla, Founder and Chairman, Development Alternatives.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr R K Pachauri, Director General, TERI and Chairman, IPCC said: “The IPCC has completed three Working Group reports as part of the Fifth Assessment cycle. These contain a substantial amount of information and important findings on the underlying physical science basis of climate change, its impacts, adaptation possibilities and the vulnerability of different parts of the globe, as well as mitigation options. India is vulnerable to several impacts of climate change, and as a signatory to global agreements on climate change, also has a responsibility to take appropriate action. Dealing with climate change would require a substantial expansion of awareness on all aspects of climate change, and these may be relevant for decision making in India. The outreach event is a step towards creating awareness on the findings of the parts of the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report brought out thus far.”

Mr Sam Bickersteth, CEO, CDKN, said: “The IPCC in their latest reports reinforce the first-hand experience of millions of Indians who are struggling with the impacts of climate change. Today we have heard that inspired action is needed to make India's development pathway climate compatible. Across India, at the national, state and local levels, and in individual communities and households, there is already leadership on tackling climate change. The message from the speakers today is that we need to scale this up to all sectors, all regions and get the benefits reaching the most vulnerable.”

Mr Rana Kapoor, President, ASSOCHAM and Managing Director & CEO, YES BANK: “This outreach program for the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) comes at a critical time – when India is facing a delayed monsoon, falling crop levels and flash floods, amongst several other environmental concerns. The susceptible farm sector accounts for around 15 per cent of India's economy and two-thirds of our population live in rural areas. With the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report predicting drought-related water and food shortage for Asia in the coming decade, we urgently need to address the challenges of climate change in our roles as individuals, collectively as organizations and together as a country, to ensure holistic, sustainable development and growth.”

The Fifth Assessment Report of the IPCC finds that it is extremely likely (over 95% probability) that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century. Since the 1950s, the rate of climate change has been unprecedented compared to previous decades and millennia. The Fifth Assessment Report presents an assessment of changes in the climate system that scientists have observed around the world, as well as observed and projected climate change impacts. Since the mid-19th century, the average increase in the temperature of the Earth’s surface has been 0.85 degrees Centigrade (°C).

Globally, sea levels have risen faster than at any time during the previous two millennia – and the effects are already felt in South Asia. Changing patterns of rainfall or melting snow and ice are altering freshwater systems, affecting the quantity and quality of water available in many regions, including South Asia. Climate change will have widespread impacts on South Asian society and South Asians’ interaction with the natural environment. Climate change will impact settlements and infrastructure through flooding, human health, and contribute to food and water shortages in South Asia. Given the interdependence among countries in today’s world, the impacts of climate change on resources or commodities in one place will have far-reaching global effects on prices, supply chains, trade, investment and political relations in other places. Climate change will progressively threaten economic growth and human security in complex ways, in this region and across the world.

The IPCC finds many observed changes in South Asia’s climate. Warming has occurred, at a country scale, across most of South Asia over the 20th century and into the 2000s. Records indicate that it is likely that the numbers of cold days and nights have decreased and the numbers of warm days and nights have increased across most of Asia since about 1950. Heat wave frequency has increased since the middle of the 20th century in large parts of Asia. Observations show that there have been more extreme rainfall events and fewer weak rainfall events in the central Indian region.

Changes of sea level in the Indian Ocean have emerged since the 1960s, driven by changing wind patterns. Today already, climate-related risks threaten lives, food security, health and wellbeing across many parts of South Asia. There are clear signs that climate change is already happening. The Asia region as a whole experienced the most weather and climate-related disasters in the world between 2000 and 2008 and suffered the second highest proportion (almost 30%) of total global economic losses. The risk of deaths due to flooding is highly concentrated in Asia. At the same time, as sea levels are rising, most Asian deltas are sinking as a result of groundwater extraction, floodplain engineering and trapping of sediments by dams. Severe floods in Mumbai in 2005 have been attributed to both climatic and non-climatic factors, suggesting an interaction between climate change and other stressors.

BASIC ministerial meet on August 7, 8

NEW DELHI, Aug 6: The two –day 18th BASIC countries (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) Ministerial Meeting will get underway on Thursday to discuss important issues relating to the current UNFCCC Climate Change negotiations specially on matters pertaining to the Adhoc Working Group on the Durban Platform.

An official statement said Prakash Javadekar, Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Mr. Zhenhua, Vice Chairman, Minister National Development and Reform Commission, China, Ms. Teixeira, Minister of Environment, Brazil and Ms. Molewa, Minister of Environmental Affairs, South Africa will take part in the Ministerial meeting on August 8.

The 17th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change was held in Hanzghou, China last October.

The statement said the BASIC Ministerial meeting provides an opportunity to Environment Ministers to enhance coordination on important issues in climate change negotiations and to arrive at a common position on such issues. The BASIC Ministers have been meeting regularly since the Conference of Parties in Copenhagen.

US-India Energy ties set for new heights at TERI-Yale Summit

By Deepak Arora

WASHINGTON DC, Aug 5: The recent visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker to India could not have come at a more crucial juncture. Their meetings with various dignitaries, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reinforced the need to strengthen the relationship between the two countries, in the wake of India walking out of the WTO. In this context, the Fifth US-India Energy Partnership Summit, scheduled to take place from September 30 to October 1 in Washington DC, and organized by The Energy and Resources Institute North America (TERI NA) and Yale University, would be a significant platform for US-India ties on various fronts.

At an event held in the run up to the Summit on July 30 in New Delhi, Mr Daniel Poneman, US Deputy Secretary of Energy, said: “The US and India are playing important roles globally in terms of energy security and climate change. This is an opportunity, as well as our responsibility, to preserve our precious planet. I believe US-India bilateral relations are poised to create huge opportunities in this sector. The time has come to move from analysis and take effective action in this regard.”

Dr R K Pachauri, President, TERI NA and Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said: “Energy security is critical for both the US and India. The recent geopolitical developments in the region from where we import the bulk of our oil, can lead to a drastic increase in oil prices. The devaluation of the Rupee has added to the crisis. But I am confident that we are on the cusp of change in the use of our renewable energy resources. We should be investing more on renewable energy sources in the coming years. India and the US must work together, both in energy security as well as on policy fronts, so that we can bring in some positive changes.”

The focus of the Summit will be on bilateral cooperation in the energy sector and related areas. To reinforce this cooperation, top business bodies including the American Chamber of Commerce in India (AMCHAM), the US-India Business Council (USIBC), and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) have partnered to take this process forward. The partners at the Pre-Summit Roundtable included UTC, Applied Materials and Azure Power.

Dr Annapurna Vancheswaran, Vice-President, TERI NA, said: “The Summit comes in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US, and the UN Secretary General's Climate Summit. A new climate is gaining momentum to strengthen the growth and development of US-India partnerships.” During the Roundtable, participants set the stage for the Summit and deliberated on new avenues to strengthen energy cooperation between the two countries, especially in the areas of renewable energy, energy access, green buildings and conventional fuels.

Hosted annually since 2009 by TERI North America and Yale University, the Fifth US-India Energy Partnership Summit will broadly look at 'Accelerating Resilient Growth and Development', while addressing various issues related to energy efficiency, security, access and technology. Stakeholders from various sectors will discuss new collaborations in clean technologies and renewable energy, green buildings and sustainable cities, decentralized energy access, alternatives such as shale gas, etc. Climate change will also form a key component of the discussions, with the proceedings at the General Assembly and Climate Summit providing significant inputs to the Summit deliberations.

TERI, USGBC form strategic alliance

By Deepak Arora

Pix By Noyanika Arora

NEW DELHI, July 7:

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) today announced a strategic collaboration to accelerate the development of high performance buildings in India and Southeast Asia.

Developing a sustainable approach to the built environment is not only a global issue, but also a major concern for developing countries.

TERI’s GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) and USGBC’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) have partnered to promote the best of global and Indian practices to ensure efficiency of design, construction and operation of high performance buildings.

GRIHA has created locally relevant and technologically advanced mechanisms, which is crucial in regionalizing LEED in India and Southeast Asia.

Speak-ing at the event, Dr. R.K. Pach-auri, Direc-tor-General, TERI, said: “Several studies have estimated that most of the buildings projected to be standing in 2030 in India have yet to be built. The demand for energy, water and other inputs for these buildings and those that already exist will be staggering.

"Designing and constructing “green” buildings would ensure that India, and the world, do not get locked into a pattern of resource use intensity that would be unsustainable for a variety of reasons. TERI and USGBC share common goals in promoting green buildings round the world.”

“Implementing a more sustainable approach to the built environment is a global imperative, but nowhere is its impact more critical than in developing countries."

This partnership between USGBC and TERI promises to take green buildings to the next level in India and across Southeast Asia,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council.

“India is already the third largest market for LEED outside the U.S., and USGBC is committed to bringing our resources to advance more rapid adoption of green building practices.”

The partnership will focus on two key initiatives:

Existing buildings: The GRIHA Council implementing and supporting the LEED for Existing Buildings rating system and the LEED Dynamic Plaque for Indian and Southeast Asian markets.

New buildings: Offering seamless pathways for dual ratings for new buildings: GRIHA projects will have the opportunity to earn LEED certification and LEED buildings will have the opportunity to earn GRIHA certification.

The partnership comes on the heels of last month’s announcement from USGBC regarding its expansion of support for LEED in India.

“GRIHA has pioneered a regional rating system that addresses the environmental impacts of the construction sector in India. It was further modified and adopted by the Ministry as a benchmark for sustainable buildings within India. We applaud these extraordinary achievements and greatly look forward to advancing this regional system with our global rating system as both parties seek to transform the built environment into one that includes the most sustainable, safest and healthiest buildings for all,” said Scot Horst, Senior Vice President, LEED, USGBC.

USGBC has also established a LEED customer service hub in India that will help accelerate the adoption of LEED in India. The LEED hub is a local technical, market, certification and customer support center for LEED project teams.

Additionally, in an effort to continue strengthening the global consistency and review quality of the LEED rating system, the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) now manages certification of projects to all LEED rating systems in India. The LEED hub, USGBC’s renewed commitment to India, along with the strategic partnership with TERI, will add significant capacity in the market, encouraging even greater adoption of green standards across more populations in the region.

LEED v4, offered by USGBC and SVA GRIHA, GRIHA LD, which is offered by The GRIHA Council, will continue to co-exist and be promoted by the respective bodies.

TERI is a leading Indian non-government organisation (NGO), a global think tank conducting research and analysis in the genres of energy, environment and sustainable development. TERI conceived GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment), the national rating system for green buildings in India. It is a green building design evaluation system and is suitable for all kinds of buildings in different climatic zones of the country.

USGBC is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building program, robust educational offerings, a nationwide network of chapters and affiliates, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, the Center for Green Schools and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities.