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Energy efficiency plays a central role in climate change mitigation policies. Countries are using different methods to estimate energy savings from energy efficiency improvements. Improved methods to measure energy efficiency savings are adopted mainly in countries with mandatory energy efficiency targets. They use bottom-up and top-down methods to enhance the reliability of savings estimates. India has implemented various energy efficiency measures, and the impact of most of the schemes is estimated using the simplified deemed savings bottom-up approach. Index Decomposition Analysis is a top-down approach, but its use in India is limited due to a lack of reliable national energy balances. This study uses India's energy balances from International Energy Agency to estimate the energy efficiency savings in India during 2011–19. It is found that the IDA estimates are lower than the government's deemed savings estimates. The underlying assumptions in the simplified deemed savings approach may overestimate savings, or savings from index decomposition analysis may be underestimated due to data limitations. Improved methods and reliable and timely data is essential for measuring energy savings from energy efficiency. National-level targets on energy efficiency can push improvements in energy savings measurement techniques. The targets can also address several barriers in the energy efficiency markets. • Developing countries use simplified approaches to estimate EE savings. • Combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches increase reliability of estimates. • IDA estimates of saving from EE policies in India are lower than government estimates. • Energy intensity targets can improve energy savings measurement techniques in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) have significant influence on the global economic and environmental trajectories. They have carbon intensive economic systems, which contribute significantly to total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, leading to climate change. However, BRICS have joined the race to net-zero emissions by 2050 in the quest for a climate neutral and sustainable global economy. The journey, however, is not without challenges and opportunities. The proliferation of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had mixed reactions from scientists regarding its implications on net-zero trajectories. While statistical data show a correlation between COVID-19 and a decrease in total emissions, it is envisaged that COVID-19 compromised the efforts to develop carbon neutral economies. Hence, there is still need for more scientific examination of COVID-19's impact on net-zero ambitions, especially in the emerging economies. This study focuses on India and South Africa's trajectories. Statistical analysis of secondary data from authentic interactive web-based dashboards for COVID-19 data repositories, namely Our World in Data and Climate Action Tracker was performed in conjunction with the document analysis approach following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology. Some of the COVID-19 challenges as indicated by the results of the study include curtailing the technology transfer staircase in the energy sector, retaliatory emissions for recovery and resource diversion. The opportunities presented by COVID-19 in the quest for carbon neutrality include behavioural changes in investment, production and consumption patterns with a focus on low carbon options. Governments and stakeholders need to focus on addressing the barriers whilst riding on the opportunities presented by the pandemic to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 is a severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and quarantines have led to significant industrial slowdowns among the world's major emitters of air pollutants, with resulting decreases to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in nations such as China, India and US, deemed to be major sources of global CO 2 emissions, as well. However, there are major concerns that these decreases in atmospheric pollution can be hampered as economies are reactivated. Historically, countries have weakened environmental legislations following economic slowdown to encourage renewed economic growth. Such a policy response now will likely have disproportionate impacts on global Indigenous people and marginalized groups within countries, who have already faced disproportionate impacts from COVID-19 and environmental pollution. Our "new normal" remain nimble enough to allow us to fine-tune our interventions, research tools and solutions-oriented research to quickly enough to stay ahead of the pandemic trajectory in the face of air pollution and climate change. Societal and behavioral changes to reduce these anthropogenic cumulative stressors should be advocated, while prioritizing the public health of marginalized groups around the world, promoting new approaches to champion environmental health along with educational programs addressed to the population. Bold government decisions can restart economies while pre-empting future inequities and committing to environmental protection in an era of COVID-19 and global change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical coastal wetlands have been well recognized for their role in mitigating climate change apart from possessing high biodiversity values as well as providing important habitats for fisheries and other ecosystem services. Although these wetlands play key roles in sequestering carbon (C) in the lithosphere and hydrosphere, there is a notable dearth of comprehensive yet spatially explicit accounts of their total blue carbon (TBC) stocks. The anthropogenic factors including development stressors have fundamentally altered the global C dynamics. In this respect, holistic accounting of the total C stocks of the coastal wetlands becomes the foremost task in emphasizing their recognition as integral components of climate change mitigation strategies. This study modeled TBC stocks of an intertidal mudflat of eastern India across different land use/ land covers (LULCs) by quantifying the above ground biomass (AGB), below ground biomass (BGB), and soil organic C (SOC). The distribution of SOC was modeled through spatial interpolation of point-specific C densities (R2 = 0.77; RMSE = 22.91 Mg ha−1). AGB was estimated by establishing allometric relationships between geospatial data, both of active (PALSAR-2) and passive (Pleiades-1B) nature and in-situ dendrometric variables using the artificial neural network (R2 = 0.85; RMSE = 48.91 Mg ha−1). BGB was estimated from the modeled AGB. Spatial integration of these datasets estimated the TBC stock of mudflat as 27,469.30 Mg. Overall, open mangrove represented highest mean TBC density (163.29 Mg ha−1) while herbaceous vegetation recorded largest TBC stock (9818.94 Mg). Mean TBC densities across LULCs were significantly different (p < 0.05) from each other except for the herbaceous vegetation and built-up categories, indicating the inertial effects of paleo-land covers. Accordingly, this study could be inferred as a pioneering one in developing a comprehensive geospatial model of TBC accounting in India towards strengthening the regional and national C inventories. [Display omitted] • Total blue C stocks of an intertidal mudflat including AGB, BGB and SOC estimated • Applying destructive/non-destructive sampling, elemental analysis and RS datasets • Coupling of fine resolution multispectral and SAR datasets through ANN • Effects of land use/land cover patterns on blue C dynamics assessed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bioeconomic potential of monopodial and sympodial bamboos is not well understood. Therefore, Net primary productivity (NPP), total biomass, carbon (C) stock, soil organic carbon (SOC), CO 2 sequestration, and bioenergy potential were studied in a sympodial Chimonocalamus griffithianus and a monopodial Phyllostachys mannii bamboo in Meghalaya, north-eastern India. P. mannii stand with mean culm density 16,877 ha−1, height 14.8 m and diameter 4.4 cm, accumulated 107.56 Mg ha−1 biomass with a total NPP of 18.83 t ha−1yr−1. It stored 50.67 Mg C ha−1 in biomass, 77.28 Mg C ha−1 in soil, and had sequestration potential of 469.58 t CO 2 ha−1. C. griffithianus stand with mean clump density 1065 ha−1, mean culm density 52,185 ha−1, height 7.19 m and diameter 3.04 cm, accumulated 67.08 Mg ha−1 biomass with a total NPP of 15.30 t ha−1 yr−1. It stored 31.30 Mg C ha−1 in biomass, 83.25 Mg C ha−1 in soil, and had sequestration potential of 420.40 t CO 2 ha−1. Matured culms (>2–3 years old) of P. manni and C. griffithianus produced 143.08–166.65 MW h and 87.13–101.48 MW h of energy per ha, respectively. Although landuse history and site characteristics of the two stands were not 100 % identical, significantly greater (p < 0.05) standing biomass, NPP, growth rate, carbon sequestration potential, and energy values of P. mannii than C. griffithianus makes the monopodial bamboo a better choice for energy plantation and climate change mitigation tool than the sympodial. • Monopodial bamboo, Phyllostachys mannii , surpasses sympodial Chimonocalamus griffithianus in bioeconomic potential. • P. mannii exhibits higher biomass, NPP, carbon sequestration, and energy values. • Comparative analysis reveals the superior suitability of monopodial bamboo for energy plantations. • Results provide valuable insights for sustainable development in India's biobased economy. • Study contributes to understanding the role of bamboos in mitigating climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately assessing forest fire susceptibility (FFS) in the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) is essential for biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, and community safety. Most existing studies have primarily focused on climatic and topographical factors, while this research expands the scope by employing a synergistic approach that integrates geographical information systems (GIS), remote sensing (RS), and machine learning (ML) methodologies for identifying and assessing forest fire-prone areas in the STR and their vulnerability to climate change. To achieve this, the study employed a comprehensive dataset of forty-four influencing factors, including topographic, climate-hydrologic, forest health, vegetation indices, radar features, and anthropogenic interference, into ten ML models: neural net (nnet), AdaBag, Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBTree), Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), Random Forest (RF), and its hybrid variants with differential evolution algorithm (RF-DEA), Gravitational Based Search (RF-GBS), Grey Wolf Optimization (RF-GWO), Particle Swarm Optimization (RF-PSO), and genetic algorithm (RF-GA). The study revealed high FFS in both the northern and southern portions of the study area, with the nnet and RF-PSO models demonstrating susceptibility percentages of 12.44% and 12.89%, respectively. Conversely, very low FFS zones consistently displayed susceptibility scores of approximately 23.41% and 18.57% for the nnet and RF-PSO models. The robust mapping methodology was validated by impressive AUROC (>0.88) and kappa coefficient (>0.62) scores across all ML validation metrics. Future climate models (ssp245 and ssp585, 2022–2100) indicated high FFS zones along the northern and southern edges of the STR, with the central zone categorized from low to very low susceptibility. Boruta analysis identified actual evapotranspiration (AET) and relative humidity as key factors influencing forest fire ignition. SHAP evaluation reinforced the influence of these factors on FFS, while also highlighting the significant role of distance to road, distance to settlement, dNBR, slope, and humidity in prediction accuracy. These results emphasize the critical importance of the proposed approach for forest fire mapping and provide invaluable insights for firefighting teams, forest management, planning, and qualification strategies to address future fire sustainability. • Evaluated 44 factors, including climate, topography, and human impact. • Applied ML models, identifying high susceptibility in northern and southern STR. • Projected high susceptibility zones under ssp245 and ssp585 scenarios. • AET and humidity crucial for forest fire ignition; SHAP analysis confirmed. • Distance to road, settlement, dNBR, slope, and humidity impact prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroforestry, a sustainable land-use system that integrates trees with crops and/or livestock, is recognized as an effective strategy for synergizing climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts in India. However, the prevalence of limited land under agroforestry indicates the presence of significant constraints hindering its widespread implementation. To address this challenge, the State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) represents a potentially potent policy tool for driving the expansion of agroforestry at the sub-national level. The aim of this study was to examine (i) how the SAPCCs recognized and reported the benefits of agroforestry for climate change adaptation and mitigation, and (ii) what policy approaches are put forth to operationalize agroforestry in India. For this study, the information on agroforestry was coded using a hybrid approach (a combination of deductive and inductive coding) followed by thematic analysis and peer debriefing (for validation of the generated codes and themes). Many of the mitigation and adaptation benefits of agroforestry are reflected in the SAPCCs. However, the predominant focus of these SAPCCs has been on tree-based agroforestry, with insufficient attention given to the crop-tree-livestock nexus, which could offer greater scope for reducing agricultural emissions. Furthermore, existing constraints to the expansion of agroforestry have not been adequately addressed, and the strategies proposed lack the necessary precision to enable effective implementation on the ground. These shortcomings are further compounded by the absence of accurate budgetary estimates, thereby hindering the ability to execute meaningful actions at the grassroots level. The results of this study could offer valuable perspectives on how the potential benefits of agroforestry may be harnessed more prudently to realize mitigation and adaptation outcomes in India while aligning with the country's Nationally Determined Contributions and building sustainable livelihood. [Display omitted] • India's sub-national climate change action plans acknowledge agroforestry's potential for climate change adaptation and mitigation. • However, the plans primarily focus on adding trees to expand agroforestry and overlook the potential of agrosilvopastoral systems. • The existing constraints of agroforestry adoption in India are not sufficiently addressed, and budget estimates vary significantly among states. • To address these issues, the plans require revision to incorporate specific actions and a clear implementation roadmap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop residue burning is a common practice in many parts of the world that causes air pollution and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Regenerative practices that return residues to the soil offer a 'no burn' pathway for addressing air pollution while building soil organic carbon (SOC). Nevertheless, GHG emissions in rice-based agricultural systems are complex and difficult to anticipate, particularly in production contexts with highly variable hydrologic conditions. Here we predict long-term net GHG fluxes for four rice residue management strategies in the context of rice-wheat cropping systems in Eastern India: burning, soil incorporation, livestock fodder, and biochar. Estimations were based on a combination of Tier 1, 2, and 3 modelling approaches, including 100-year DNDC simulations across three representative soil hydrologic categories (i.e., dry, median, and wet). Overall, residue burning resulted in total direct GHG fluxes of 2.5, 6.1, and 8.7 Mg CO 2 -e in the dry, median, and wet hydrologic categories, respectively. Relative to emissions from burning (positive values indicate an increase) for the same dry to wet hydrologic categories, soil incorporation resulted in a −0.2, 1.8, or 3.1 Mg CO 2 -e change in emissions whereas use of residues for livestock fodder increased emissions by 2.0, 2.1, or 2.3 Mg CO 2 -e. Biochar reduced emissions relative to burning by 2.9 Mg CO 2 -e in all hydrologic categories. This study showed that the production environment has a controlling effect on methane and, therefore, net GHG balance. For example, wetter sites had 2.8–4.0 times greater CH 4 emissions, on average, than dry sites when rice residues were returned to the soil. To effectively mitigate burning without undermining climate change mitigation goals, our results suggest that geographically-target approaches should be used in the rice-based systems of Eastern India to incentivize the adoption of regenerative 'no burn' residue management practices. • Efforts to build SOC for climate change mitigation, while simultaneously avoiding burning, may have unintended consequences. • Tier 1, 2, and 3 modelling approaches were used to compare no-burn rice residue pathways. • Field hydrology had a dominant effect on methane emissions. • Soil incorporation of residues increased emissions relative to open burning, except in comparatively dry fields. • Biochar is estimated to have the lowest GHG emissions of the evaluated 'no burn' alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Four design principles would inform a forest carbon market-based mechanism in India. • Robust governance and accounting emerge as key technical considerations. • Local community involvement and flexible spatio-temporal criteria would encourage participation. • Land tenure, implementation challenges and design flaws may inhibit effectiveness. Forest carbon markets (FCMs) have emerged as a significant means to direct resources toward urgent climate action that can mobilize a large set of actors and catalyze funding toward reducing deforestation and promoting sustainable forest management. Here, we conduct a critical qualitative review of global academic and investigative literature to identify ten major sets of design principles that provide a platform for the functioning of carbon markets worldwide. From these, we pinpoint four design principles which may be relevant to future market-based mechanisms in India We propose that clarity over market-quality standards, comprehensive regulatory framework, minimization of transaction costs and upfront financing options, and flexibility in time-bound and spatial commitments would be fundamental to ensure that market-based mechanisms in India accrue sustainable and long-term benefits to climate action and human well-being. A successful market-based mechanism in India's forestry sector would have to overcome challenges around land property rights, local implementation capacities and knowledge gaps, and incentive structures to ensure that it likely caters to the needs of all stakeholders while delivering socio-ecological benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to present historical rate of decoupling and based on that determine the scope for India to increase its mitigation beyond the NDC commitment. Empirical evidence on nature and rate of decoupling between energy related emission and economic growth for the period 1990–91 to 2012–13 in India is presented. In addition to estimating the magnitude of decoupling elasticity, decomposition analysis is also applied to understand how the four factors: activity growth, energy intensity change, structural change and fuel mix change, are driving the change in emission in India. Decoupling elasticity and Log Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) methods are used for decomposition. The results indicate presence of relative decoupling in India. The industrial sector leads among the four sectors -agriculture, industry, services and power generation in achieving this relative decoupling, mostly through improvement in energy efficiency and some structural changes. Results show that even in the business as usual scenario if India acts upon individual sector level mitigation potentials, it has the potential to raise mitigation ambition beyond current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) without adversely impacting economic growth. With continued high share of coal in the energy mix it is going to be difficult to achieve absolute decoupling. • Relative decoupling is increasingly happening in India since 1990–91 but more can be achieved. • Industrial energy efficiency improvements explain most of the relative decoupling. • To achieve unprecedented absolute decoupling, high share of coal in total primary fuel mix is a major barrier. • Untapped efficiency and fuel shifts potential can help in raising ambition beyond the current NDC. • Raising NDC ambition through sectoral actions is not in conflict with economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To better understand forest carbon budgets and design forest-based climate change mitigation solutions, reliable biomass estimation is critical. Integrating multi-sensor remote sensing data can improve forest monitoring and evaluation. This study adopted a one-hectare plot size sampling design to improve the integration of GEDI footprints with in-situ, optical, and SAR data for the estimation of forest above-ground biomass (AGB). The study was carried out for a managed tropical forest in the Himalayan foothills of India. The space-borne GEDI retrieved the canopy height of the study area with an RMSE of 3.36 m and Adj. R2 of 0.70. Extrapolating GEDI footprint heights (RH95) with Landsat 8 indices using Random Forest (RF) yielded a spatial canopy height of the study area with an R2 of 0.97 and RMSE of 2.32 m. Using the GEDI canopy height, foliage density, and plant area index, the AGB at GEDI footprints level was estimated using RF, with an R2 of 0.91 and an RMSE of 20.10 Mg ha−1. The spatial AGB model that only considered ALOS-2 SAR variables had an R2 of 0.61 and an RMSE of 18.27 Mg ha−1, whereas the RF model that considered both SAR variables and canopy height had a superior R2 of 0.77 and a lower RMSE of 13.86 Mg ha−1. The addition of canopy height data reduced the RMSE of the AGB model by 4.41 Mg ha−1 and also predicted a higher range of AGB. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of combining GEDI data with other sensors (optical and SAR data) to provide precise AGB of multistage managed forests using a one-hectare plot size sampling design. • One-hectare plot sampling design adopted to integrate GEDI, Landsat-8, and ALOS-2 SAR. • Random Forest algorithm used to predict canopy height and AGB. • Integration of canopy height with ALOS-2 SAR-derived variables improved AGB prediction and reduced AGB uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CAPs have emerged as key policy tools for cities to fight impacts of climate change. • Existing coverage on city CAPs is lacking in case of developing countries. • Cities often have to fulfil multiple objectives, also including climate change. • Cities and local governments need more autonomy for effective climate action. • Climate policy formulation at local levels may avoid experimentation and influence. Climate change impacts have affected cities across the world, with cities in the developing world showing higher climate risks to property, infrastructure, and individual lives. Climate Action Plans (CAP) have emerged as a key tool and policy strategy for cities globally in their fight against climate change. However, most studies on CAPs cover cities of the Global North, lacking representation of the developing world. This study conducts an exploratory case study analysis of CAPs of four metropolitan cities in India, one of the world's worst climate-exposed cities. The objective is to highlight and compare key components and characteristics of these CAPs and showcase their key strengths, unique solutions, weaknesses, and areas of improvement that may offer opportunities for strengthening existing and future city CAPs leading to effective climate policy and urban governance at the national and global level. Characteristics of the CAPs are discussed under the purview of global best practices and frameworks, such as C40 cities. Analysis shows that city CAPs in India are at a nascent stage owing to the absence of climate policies resulting in experimentation and implementation, suiting stakeholder and local government needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concrete, a cement-based product is the highest manufactured and second highest consumed product after water on earth. Across the world, production of cement is the most energy and emission intensive industry hence, the cement industry is currently under pressure to reduce greenhouse gases emissions (GHGEs). However, reducing the GHGEs of the cement industry especially for developing country like India is not an easy task. Cement manufacturing industry needs to focus on significant climate change mitigation strategies to reduce the GHGEs to sustain its production. This study aims at identifying significant climate change mitigation strategies of the cement manufacturing industry in the context of India. Extant literature review and expert opinion are used to identify climate change mitigation strategies of the cement manufacturing industry. In the present study, a model projects by applying both AHP and DEMATEL techniques to assess the climate change mitigation strategies of the cement industry. The AHP technique help in establishing the priorities of climate change mitigation strategies, while the DEMATEL technique forms the causal relationships among them. Through AHP, the results of this research demonstrate that Fuel emission reduction is on top most priority while the relative importance priority of the main remaining factors is Process emission reduction - Electric energy-related emission - Emission avoidance and reduction - Management mitigation measures. The findings also indicate that the main factors, Process emission reduction, and Fuel emission reduction are categorized in cause group factors, while the remaining factors, Electric energy-related emission, Emission avoidance and reduction and Management mitigation measures are in effect group factors. Present model will help supply chain analysts to develop both short-term and long-term decisive measures for effectively managing and reducing GHGEs. Image 1 • Climate change mitigations strategies for the cement industry are identified. • Identified Climate change mitigations strategies for the cement industry are prioritized. • A hybrid methodology of AHP and DEMATEL is used. According to the finding of this research work • Kiln system (KLN) is the top prioritize mitigation strategy: Under the optimized conditions, the best thermal energy consumption can be achieved with pre-heater pre-calciners kilns (PH-PC). PH-PC kilns have higher production capacity, ensure good burnability of the raw material, alternative fuels enabled utilization of lower calorific value with high ash coals. • Clinker substitution (CLSB) is the second most preferred mitigation strategy: Some other industries byproduct/waste is used as clinker substitutions, thereby reducing clinker volume, hence fuel, power, and process related greenhouse gas emissions associated with clinker production is reduced and hence reduce the process emissions and other greenhouse gas emissions. • Reduce production and sales of emission-intensive cement (RPS) is the third mitigation strategy as per AHP analysis in our study: Strategy in which organizations will not instantly cease manufacture of emission-intensive cement like OPC, but may rather engender a gradual shift away from emission-intensive cement production towards lower emission cement like PPC, PSC, PLC etc without any change made to cement production process or technology and hence reduce the process emissions. • Efficient cooler (CLR) is the forth mitigation strategy as per ranking of AHP analysis in our study: In the manufacturing of cement the heat energy of the hot clinker, escaping from the kiln is recovered in the clinker cooler. This recovered heat energy is utilized for warming up the combustion air. Grate cooler is the key efficient clinker cooler technology, which has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Enrichment in soil organic carbon was observed under ZT diversified cropping system. • Conservation agriculture improved aggregate indices. • ZT and crop diversification improved particulate and aggregate associated carbon. • Conservation agriculture showed higher system productivity. Intensive tillage based management practices are threatening soil quality and systems sustainability in the rice-wheat belt of Northwest India. Furthermore, it is accentuated with puddling of soil, which disrupts soil aggregates. Conservation agriculture (CA) practices involving zero tillage, crop residue management and suitable crop rotation can serve as better alternative to conventional agriculture for maintaining soil quality. Soil organic carbon is an important determinant of soil quality, playing critical role in food production, mitigation and adaptation to climate change as well as performs many ecosystem functions. To understand the turnover of soil carbon in different forms (Total organic carbon-TOC; aggregate associated carbon-AAC; particulate organic carbon- POC), soil aggregation and crop productivity with different management practices, one conventional agriculture based scenario and three CA based crop management scenarios namely conventional rice-wheat system (Sc1), partial CA based rice-wheat-mungbean system (Sc2), full CA-based rice-wheat-mungbean system (Sc3) and maize-wheat-mungbean system (Sc4) were evaluated. TOC was increased by 71%, 68% and 25% after 4 years of the experiment and 75%, 80% and 38% after 6 years of the experiment in Sc4, Sc3 and Sc2, respectively, over Sc1 at 0–15 cm soil depth. After 4 years of the experiment, 38.5% and 5.0% and after 6 years 50.8% and 24.4% improvement in total water stable aggregates at 0–15 and 15–30 cm soil depth, respectively was observed in CA-based scenarios over Sc1. Higher aggregate indices were associated with Sc3 at 0–15 cm soil depth than others. Among the size classes of aggregates, highest aggregate associated C (8.94 g kg−1) was retained in the 1-0.5 mm size class under CA-based scenarios. After 6 years, higher POC was associated with Sc4 (116%). CA-based rice/maize system (Sc3 and Sc4) showed higher productivity than Sc1. Therefore, CA could be a potential management practice in rice-wheat cropping system of Northwest India to improve the soil carbon pools through maintaining soil aggregation and productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the evolution of India's power sector to 2050 and identifies crucial low carbon technologies to meet its NDC and long-term climate change mitigation targets under various carbon emission rights allocation schemes using a multi-region global energy systems model TIAM-UCL where India is modelled as a separate region. Six scenarios were developed – reference case, NDC, global 2 °C and three scenarios where CO 2 emissions of all model regions converged in 2050 based on criteria of GDP/capita, emissions intensity of GDP and per capita emissions. The analysis shows that emission rights allocation schemes influence the total energy system development costs, long-term electricity generation requirements, and share of renewables especially solar PV generation to meet the 2 °C target. The model runs also show that solar-PV is the single most important generation technology for decarbonisation of India's power sector. Limiting the share of solar-PV generation can lead to 20% reduction in total electricity generation and increase system costs substantially for 2050. Further, the results also indicate that India may have 200–215 GW of stranded coal generation assets in 2050 in the low carbon scenarios. Our analysis suggest that India is one of those countries which are at the development stage and also highly risked with the lock-in in carbon emitting infrastructure especially coal-based generations unless action taken in the near-term. • Solar-PV is the most important technology for decarbonisation of electricity sector in India requiring 800GW-1100GW by 2050. • Stranded assets of coal power plants could be a real threat to the financial health of the power sector. • Early introduction of CCS for the power sector in India can significantly reduce the cost of overall emissions reductions. • India is one of those countries which are highly risked with the lock-in in carbon emitting infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Integrated assessment models are extensively used in the analysis of climate change mitigation and are informing national decision makers as well as contribute to international scientific assessments. This paper conducts a comprehensive review of techno-economic assumptions in the electricity sector among fifteen different global and national integrated assessment models. Particular focus is given to six major economies in the world: Brazil, China, the EU, India, Japan and the US. The comparison reveals that techno-economic characteristics are quite different across integrated assessment models, both for the base year and future years. It is, however, important to recognize that techno-economic assessments from the literature exhibit an equally large range of parameters as the integrated assessment models reviewed. Beyond numerical differences, the representation of technologies also differs among models, which needs to be taken into account when comparing numerical parameters. While desirable, it seems difficult to fully harmonize techno-economic parameters across a broader range of models due to structural differences in the representation of technology. Therefore, making techno-economic parameters available in the future, together with of the technology representation as well as the exact definitions of the parameters should become the standard approach as it allows an open discussion of appropriate assumptions. Highlights • Comparison of technology representation and techno-economic parameters of 15 IAMs. • Structural differences in representing technology in IAMs are identified. • Methods of projecting techno-economic parameters differ across IAMs. • Strict harmonization of techno-economic parameters across models is difficult. • Recommendation to publish techno-economic parameters and technology representation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban floods have become more frequent and devastating in recent decades. Low impact developments (LIDs) have gained wide acceptance as a more sustainable and effective technique for mitigating urban flooding. This study examines the hydrological control effects of LIDs on mitigating runoff depth and peak runoff in the context of climate change for four micro-watersheds (A, B, C and D) in northeast India. In addition, attempts have been made to determine whether redesigning the existing drainage helps reduce runoff in the study area. Results show that redesigning the drainage system has resulted only in 2.5–3.6% reduction in runoff depth for the four micro-watersheds. LIDs were effective in managing the stormwater in all four micro-watersheds. Among the four LIDs considered (green roof, permeable pavements, infiltration trenches, and rain barrels), the green roof showed the highest percentage reduction in runoff characteristics. Climate change analysis has shown a significant increase in the runoff characteristics in all four watersheds. For watersheds A, B, C, and D, the green roof effectively reduced runoff by 30%–38%, 83%, 50%, and 34%, respectively. This study will help the decision-makers to assess and choose the best LIDs to minimize the risk of flooding. • Effectiveness of LID in runoff mitigation under climate change was studied • Climate change has increased the rainfall intensities and runoff in the study area • Green roof was found to be effective in runoff reduction for the study area • The runoff coefficient was found to decrease after the implementation of LIDs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India has a significant importance in achieving the global Paris agreement's long-term goal as it is the world's third-largest consumer of energy. This paper aims to improve the understanding of the opportunities and constraints of decarbonizing India's electricity sector and adds to the growing body of literature by modelling the electricity sector in India with a dynamic optimization approach that assesses options for effective greenhouse reductions through carbon pricing. Attaining significant variable renewable energy penetration in India by 2050 is consistent with the lowest cost power generation options identified through our simulations, where solar and wind can provide 66 % of the electricity needs by 2050, even without a carbon price. With a carbon price of US$50/tCO2e, the simulations project that wind and power generation share in the electricity mix will rise to 81 %, leading to significant emission reductions. In this scenario, power sector emissions will be 164 million tCO2e by 2050, which is only about 14 % of the emissions levels in 2019. The analysis also indicates that fossil fuels remain part of India's electricity mix in 2050, but their role and operation would dramatically change. When a carbon price of US$50/tCO2e is introduced, coal capacity remains valuable to fill demand when solar and wind are not available. This would require modifications in operation schedules and repurposing coal power plants for frequent ramping up and down. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The “4 per Thousand” initiative was launched at the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) in December 2015 to address global climate change through the aspirational goal of increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) stock of the world to 40-cm depth by an average annual rate of 4%. Small landholders (SLHs), often faced with difficult bio-physical and socio-economic conditions, are the principal managers of soil in India. There are 117 million SLHs representing 85% of the total operational holdings, cultivating over 72 million ha of land, and meeting 50–60% of India's food requirement. The agricultural soils of SLHs are strongly depleted of SOC and nutrient reserves. Therefore, the challenge of feeding 1.7 billion people in India by 2050 will depend on increasing the current productivity levels by restoring the depleted soils of SLHs. According to our estimates, soils of SLHs currently contain 1370–1770 Tg C and, which can be increased to 2460–2650 Tg C by 2050 through large-scale adoption of best management practices (BMPs) including balanced application of nutrients, compost, agroforestry, and conservation agriculture. A wide spread adoption of these practices can enhance C sequestration by 70–130 Tg CO 2 e per annum and produce 410–440 million Mg of food grains accounting for 80–85% of the total requirement by 2050. In this paper we propose strategies for achieving the dual objectives of advancing food security, the “4 per Thousand” target and mitigating climate change in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to assess the technical and economic potential of concentrating solar power (CSP) generation in India. The potential of CSP systems is estimated on the basis of a detailed solar radiation and land resource assessment in 591 districts across the country. The land suitability, favorable solar resource conditions and wind power density over the vicinity have been considered key parameters for potential estimation. On the basis of a district-wise solar and land resource assessment, the technical potential of CSP systems is estimated over 1500 GW at an annual direct normal irradiance (DNI) over 1800 kWh/m 2 and wind power density (WPD) ≥150 W/m 2 after taking into accounts the viability of different CSP technologies and land suitability criteria. The economic potential of CSP is estimated at 571 GW at an annual DNI over 2000 kWh/m 2 and WPD≥150 W/m 2 in India. The technical evaluation of CSP technologies over the potential locations have been carried through System Advisor Model (SAM) Software using the Typical Meteorological Year data of Meteonorm 7.0 weather database. In near future, it is anticipated that locations with DNI values ≥1600–1800 kWh/m 2 could also become economically feasible with the development of new technologies, advancement of materials, efficient and cost-effective thermal energy storage, economy of scale, manufacturing capability along with the enhanced policy measures, etc. In the long-term, it is possible to exploit over 2700 GW solar power through CSP in India with an annual DNI ≥1600 kWh/m 2 and WPD≥150 W/m 2 . The findings of this study can be used for identification of niche areas for CSP projects in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally. The growing global population is putting pressure on agricultural production systems that aim to secure food production while minimising GHG emissions. In this study, the GHG emissions associated with the production of major food commodities in India are calculated using the Cool Farm Tool. GHG emissions, based on farm management for major crops (including cereals like wheat and rice, pulses, potatoes, fruits and vegetables) and livestock-based products (milk, eggs, chicken and mutton meat), are quantified and compared. Livestock and rice production were found to be the main sources of GHG emissions in Indian agriculture with a country average of 5.65 kg CO 2 eq kg −1 rice, 45.54 kg CO 2 eq kg −1 mutton meat and 2.4 kg CO 2 eq kg −1 milk. Production of cereals (except rice), fruits and vegetables in India emits comparatively less GHGs with <1 kg CO 2 eq kg −1 product. These findings suggest that a shift towards dietary patterns with greater consumption of animal source foods could greatly increase GHG emissions from Indian agriculture. A range of mitigation options are available that could reduce emissions from current levels and may be compatible with increased future food production and consumption demands in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale tree planting has been advocated for decades in many countries as a cost-effective strategy to mitigate carbon, rejuvenate degraded landscapes, and support local livelihoods. Recent studies, however, suggest limited ecological and livelihood impacts of tree planting programs, indicating possible limits to tree planting as a natural climate solution. In this paper, we explore these carrying capacity-like limits by evaluating the site suitability of forestry landscapes of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh using theory/expert-based rules and machine learning algorithms. We find that the state can only achieve a maximum of 31.54% forest cover due to socio-ecological and biophysical constraints, much less than India's goal of bringing 66% of the total geographical area of Himalayan states into forest cover. The low availability of suitable lands for growing trees, together with poor plantation site selection by forest range officers limit the use of tree planting as a sole climate mitigation strategy. To approach theoretical planting limits, we propose an ePSA (e-Plantation Site Assistant) recommendation system based on our site-suitability results to assist forest rangers in selecting suitable sites for planting trees. An initial deployment of the recommender system suggests its potential utility in shaping the long-term success of tree plantations as an effective carbon strategy in northern India and beyond. Overall, we argue that there is a need to realign over-ambitious national and international tree planting targets with actual limits from site characteristics to avoid massive wastage of funds and to obtain feasible carbon mitigation outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating adaptation and mitigation response actions to climate change in urban-level policies requires comprehensive information on vulnerability patterns, yet a majority of local governments and decision makers in various cities in developing nations lack spatially explicit information on climate change vulnerability and its key drivers. In addition, there is no standardised method for an all-inclusive vulnerability assessment at the local level. Results from higher broad-scale vulnerability assessments are difficult to implement conceptually and technically at the local scale. We present a climate change vulnerability assessment approach at the city scale that considers three main components: exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. Indicators were assessed within each component and were combined using Spatial Multi-Criteria Evaluation (SMCE). The standardisation of indicators under each component was conducted, along with weighting, at each level of the vulnerability assessment hierarchy. The vulnerability assessment approach was applied to an urban area in India; namely, Bangalore metropolitan area. The application of vulnerability assessment approach was demonstrated and a spatial assessment of climate change vulnerability patterns was presented. The spatial pattern of vulnerability identifies areas urgently requiring attention to adaptation action, while vulnerability assessment enables policy intervention and prioritization at local spatial scales. This study presents a rational to integrate vulnerability assessment approach within the urban planning realm in Bangalore metropolitan area where according to our study approximately 91% of the area is facing high degree of climate vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health has been the main driver for many urban environmental interventions, particularly in cases of significant health problems linked to poor urban environmental conditions. This paper examines empirically the links between climate change mitigation and health in urban areas, when health is the main driver for improvements. The paper aims to understand how systems of urban governance can enable or prevent the creation of health outcomes via continuous improvements in the environmental conditions in a city. The research draws on cases from two Indian cities where initiatives were undertaken in different sectors: Surat (waste) and Delhi (transportation). Using the literature on network effectiveness as an analytical framework, the paper compares the cases to identify the possible ways to strengthen the governance and policy making process in the urban system so that each intervention can intentionally realize multiple impacts for both local health and climate change mitigation in the long term as well as factors that may pose a threat to long-term progress and revert back to the previous situation after initial achievements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of Indian thermal power plants are tied under power purchase agreements with distribution companies. However, the existing energy models do not account for these 'take or pay' contracts for investigating climate policies. In this context, this paper investigates the impact of these power purchase agreements on power sector operations, cost of electricity and emissions from the Indian power sector. An optimization model was developed for this study with 620 coal, 239 gas, 21 nuclear and 686 hydro units with technology and operational characteristics to analyze electricity dispatch for power sector. The operations of thermal power plants were analyzed with and without power purchase agreements, and low carbon policy scenario. The scenarios are compared for power plant operations, cost of electricity, stranded assets, and emissions. The results show that there is a significant cost advantage for plants covered under power purchase agreements which favors the operations of older inefficient power plants in baseline scenarios. In addition, the representation of power purchase agreements raises the cost of electricity by 26 percent. A change in operating strategy from least cost to least emissions with a lower demand growth scenario can mitigate 24 percent emissions. The cost of carbon abatement is 268–277 USD/tonne for policy scenarios. Options like renegotiation of power purchase agreements can be considered to mitigate emissions. • Indian power sector optimization model is formulated with power purchase agreements. • Older power plants have cost advantage under existing power purchase agreements. • Power contracts in existing models result in total cost escalation of 26 percent. • The power sector can reduce emissions by 24 percent with optimal operations under lower demand. • Existing projects in pipeline will result in large stranded assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indian residences are vulnerable to heat-driven discomfort amid the mounting prevalence of weather extremes, residential design and construction practices, and densifying urbanscapes. Therefore, it is vital to understand the thermal comfort characteristics of nationwide residences. This study proposes an adaptive thermal comfort model based on yearlong field surveys in eight cities located across five climate zones of India – the India Model for Adaptive Comfort - Residential (IMAC-R). The model prescribes the operative temperature bands for 80% and 90% thermal acceptability in correlation with the outdoor reference temperature, applicable to mixed-mode (MM) and naturally ventilated (NV) residences. More than 80% of the Indian residential occupants experienced a neutral thermal sensation in the indoor operative range of 16.3–35 °C in response to a 5.5–33 °C variation in the 30-day outdoor running mean temperature. Comparing the proposed model with the PMV model revealed that the latter underpredicts the thermal adaptivity of Indian occupants. The model was also compared against its predecessor – India Model for Adaptive Comfort for Commercial Buildings (IMAC MM and NV), along with relevant global and regional thermal comfort models. On average, the neutral temperature prescribed by IMAC-R was warmer than the temperatures prescribed by IMAC MM and NV by 2.9 °C and 2.1 °C, respectively; it was also warmer than the temperature prescribed by the recent ASHRAE-55 and EN 16798-1 models by 2 °C and 0.3 °C, respectively. IMAC-R reserves the prospect of addressing the thermal comfort needs of the national population while paving the way for long-term energy savings and climate action. • An adaptive model is proposed for mixed-mode and naturally ventilated residences across the Indian climates. • Indian residential occupants are more adaptive than as predicted by ASHRAE-55, EN 15251, and PMV models. • Fan/window operation and change in clothing insulation were the key adaptive responses. • Comfort modelling is explored in correlation with Universal Thermal Climate Index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS) in western Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) is carbon and energy intensive. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate energy budgeting, carbon footprints (CF) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from RWCS under long-term tillage and residue management practices. Experiment consisted six treatment combination of tillage [conventional tillage (CT), reduced tillage (RT) and zero tillage (ZT)] and residue [with residue (+R) and without residue (–R)] namely (i) CT-R (conventional farmers' practice), (ii) CT + R, (iii) RT-R, (iv) RT + R, (v) ZT-R and (vi) ZT + R. Energy consumption ranged from 51.87 GJ ha−1 (ZT-R) to 64.91 GJ ha−1 (CT + R) and irrigation water was major energy intensive input (41–44%) followed by chemical fertilizer (32–40%). Compared to CT-R, energy use efficiency (EUE) increased by 8.7–22.4%, CF lowered by 77.9–34.3%, and GHG emission lowered by 12.8–16.3% in different treatments. Residue addition enhanced the soil carbon accumulation in ZT + R (1213 kg C ha−1 yr−1) and RT + R (987 kg C ha−1 yr−1). Overall, switching from CT–R to ZT + R lowered energy consumption (19%), GHG emission (16%) and CF (78%), making it best-bet option for climate change mitigation and global warming related environmental protection in western IGP and similar agro–ecologies. [Display omitted] • Energy use efficiency (EUE), Greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission and carbon footprints (CF) were analysed. • Irrigation water contribute maximum (41–44%) share of input energy followed chemical fertilizers (32–40%). • Conservation tillage and residue management enhanced energy productivity (15.8–21.0%) and EUE (17.1–22.4%). • The CF lowered by 77.9% in zero tillage with residue to 45.2% in reduced tillage without residue. • Zero tillage with residue addition is most energy efficient system with lower GHG emission and carbon footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Microclimatic effects of future urbanization on MMR were assessed by WRF-UCM model. • The temperature of suburban centers is likely to increase along with urbanization. • Future urbanization pattern will have negligible impact on wind speed. • By 2050, discomfort hours over newly urbanized area will increase by 3–5 h/day. • The cool roof/wall-based mitigation plan is able to curb the future temperature increase. This study examines the microclimatic impacts of future urbanization over the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) in India using a dynamic downscaling approach. Initially, two numerical experiments (curr_exp and fut_exp) were carried out by integrating 2018 and 2050 land-use/land-cover patterns under the same meteorological conditions. Afterwards, the spatial and temporal changes in surface air temperature, wind speed, and thermal discomfort were assessed by comparing the simulated results between curr_exp and fut_exp. To remediate the observed adverse microclimatic impacts of future urbanization, a mitigation strategy was designed and implemented in the third experiment (miti_exp). Simulation results show that the average maximum (minimum) surface air temperature of the region would increase by 1.41 °C (1.27 °C) due to future urbanization. However, if we adopt the mitigation strategy, this growth can be restricted to 0.69 °C (0.92 °C). In the context of thermal discomfort, an additional 20% of the total area can undergo hyperthermal treatment by 2050. This study reveals that although the implemented mitigation strategy can restrict the increasing temperature, it is ineffectual in minimizing the thermal discomfort level. The results of this study will be helpful in designing area-specific climate action plans through which goals of sustainable urban development can be accomplished. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop residue management remains a major problem in the Indian agriculture sector. The in-situ firing of crop residues has been linked to air pollution, global warming, soil fertility decline and others. Biochar conversion through slow pyrolysis could be one of the techniques for the safe disposal of crop residues. 212.04 ± 44.27 MT biochar could be produced from 517.82 MT crop residues in India. Biochar conversion of crop residues can address agriculture production, safe drinking water, livelihood, energy security and environmental protection. Soil amendment with biochar sequestrate about 376.11 ± 78.52 MT CO 2 e carbon and help retain about 1.66 ± 0.46 MT of soil nutrients. Also, crop residues derived biochar has an estimated market value of approximately $500 billion in India. Biochar applications in the cosmetics, pharma and chemical industries offer market and employment opportunities. This review discusses the impact of in-situ crop residue burning and its biochar conversion through slow pyrolysis as part of sustainable crop residue management. Also, biochar applications and socio-economic aspects of crop residues – biochar system has been deliberated to fulfil several sustainable development goals (SDGs). [Display omitted] • Impacts of crop residues in-situ firing in India were quantified and discussed. • Biochar conversion of crop residues for its strategic management was discussed. • Impact of pyrolysis process parameters on biochar yield & properties was reviewed. • Biochar as a conventional & upcoming value-added product was comprehensively analysed. • Crop residues – biochar system for the attainment of SDGs has been mapped. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cities are the major contributors to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. They account for about 75% of global energy consumption and up to 80% of global greenhouse gas emissions. With the ongoing rapid increase in urban population, expansion of middle class in urban centers in developing countries, and availability of cheaper vehicles such as Tata Nano and Bajaj RE60 in India, the demand for energy and associated emissions from cities are expected to grow rapidly. Though cities are in a better position to mitigate climate change, it does not necessary mean that there is a willingness on their part to capitalize on these mitigation opportunities. Climate change mitigation is not the priority for them because they face a number of competing priorities including local economic growth and development and service delivery. This paper suggests a range of policy tools that can help cities achieve both local priorities as well as reduce emissions, including GHGs. The suggested policies will be effective when used synergistically. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Kerosene subsidies intended for Indian households have been known for their poor targeting and high fiscal costs. However, the distributional benefits to the 160million households that use kerosene are not well understood. In this paper, the kerosene subsidy is formally assessed as an instrument of income redistribution. The subsidy incidence, progressivity and efficacy of the kerosene subsidy are calculated for the state of Maharashtra, under actual and ideal implementation conditions. The analysis shows that kerosene subsidies are regressive and of minimal financial value to poor rural households. This is in part because household quotas are based on cooking needs, but kerosene is used predominantly for lighting. In urban areas, subsidies are progressive, and provide benefits of up to 5 to 10% of household expenditure among poorer households which lack affordable access to LPG and biomass. Overall, only 26% of the total subsidy value directly reaches households. This analysis suggests that subsidies targeted only to kerosene-dependent urban areas would have a higher efficacy than broad-based subsidies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Current global climate policy architecture does not aim at stabilizing the greenhouse gases concentration in the atmosphere that may achieve the proclaimed 2°C guard rail. An alternative approach that targets on limiting the global cumulative emission to accomplish such an outcome is put forward by German Advisory Board of Global Change (WBGU). This research work further elaborates the approach and its flexibility instrument i.e. carbon trading. As the approach visualises sharing of the carbon budget (750Gt CO2) equally to every human being (2.7t CO2 per capita), India is the country with largest tradable surplus reflecting its low emission per capita and large population. The research work further analyzes the emission profile of rural India and the significance of its future emission pathways within the proposed framework. It also shows how low carbon development in India can assist in cost effective decarbonization of industrialized countries and mitigation of climate change, given a global climate treaty based on the WBGU approach. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Researchers, policy makers and civil society organizations have been discussing the potential of biofuels as partial substitutes for fossil fuels and thereby as a simultaneous solution for climate change and rural poverty. Research has highlighted the ambiguity of these claims across various dimensions and scales, focusing on ethanol-producing or oilseed crops in agricultural lands or Jatropha-type crops on common lands. We studied the agronomic and economic viability and livelihood impacts of Jatropha curcas plantations on private farms in Tamil Nadu, India. We found that Jatropha yields are much lower than expected and its cultivation is currently unviable, and even its potential viability is strongly determined by water access. On the whole, the crop impoverishes farmers, particularly the poorer and socially backward farmers. Jatropha cultivation therefore not only fails to alleviate poverty, but its aggressive and misguided promotion will generate conflict between the state and the farmers, between different socio-economic classes and even within households. The water demands of the crop can potentially exacerbate the conflicts and competition over water access in Tamil Nadu villages. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• We model CO 2 source-sink matching for decarbonizing India's electricity. • Domestic and Middle East CO 2 storage sites are explored for optimized matching. • International matching with enhanced oil recovery enhances economic feasibility. • CO 2 shipping could expand the potential of CCUS in India's climate mitigation. India is the third largest CO 2 emitter in the world and the ascending trend has not shown clear signs of leveling off. Electricity generation is the most important contributing sector. This paper examines the role of CO 2 capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) in decarbonizing India's electricity. We build a source-sink matching optimization model and unlike previous research, include transport by ship to overseas CO 2 storage sites. We initialize the model with open-source data on power sector emissions and sinks to work out the least-cost solutions for achieving various CO 2 matching scenarios. CO 2 can be captured in fossil-fuel-fired power plants in India, while the utilization and storage could be either within or beyond the country's border. We assess the potential chain of shipping CO 2 to the Middle East for enhanced oil recovery and CO 2 storage. The economics of such international CCUS chains may affect the role of CCUS in India's decarbonization scenarios. We provide first order estimates of costs and conditions to make such a proposition attractive. The model is available with an open-source license and is customizable to include additional sources, onshore and overseas sinks, and shipping terminals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Review of methodologies for CO2 storage capacity estimation globally • Detailed assessment of CO2 storage capacities in different Indian basins • New classification scheme proposed based on 'storage prospectivity' of basins • CO2 storage capacities through EOR and ECBMR are 3.4 Gt and 3.7 Gt, respectively • Total theoretical CO2 storage capacity for India estimated at 395-614 Gt With rising carbon dioxide emissions and ambitious global targets for climate change mitigation, carbon sequestration has become one of the most promising carbon dioxide removal technologies. It can prove especially beneficial to an emerging country such as India, which must balance its rapid economic growth with a reduction in emissions. A detailed assessment of the cumulative storage capacity is necessary to facilitate the development of CO 2 storage pathways in India. Previous assessments for India have primarily estimated the theoretical storage capacity based on limited data. In this study, we have reviewed different methodologies for estimating storage capacities globally, and based on the most current data available, in a first, developed a systematic assessment for theoretical and effective CO 2 storage capacities for different geological formations in India. Four storage pathways with adequate potential have been identified: storage through CO 2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR), enhanced coalbed methane recovery (ECBMR), storage in deep saline aquifers, and basalt formations. The results indicate considerable potential for CO 2 storage in India, especially in saline aquifers (291 Gt) and basalt (97–316 Gt). Even though the storage capacity estimated through EOR (3.4 Gt) and ECBMR (3.7 Gt) is comparatively less, it is adequate to store emissions from nearby large point sources. These methods are also highly feasible due to the ready availability of infrastructure and extensive geological information about the basins involved. In addition, we have developed novel classification systems for different basins in India to represent their prospectivity for CO 2 storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a lack of studies on assessing long-term impacts of different sectors on shrinking global carbon budget. Present study focuses on assessing contribution of electric vehicles (EVs) with improving electricity grids' efficiency (EGs) and minimizing 'transmission and distribution' (T&D) losses in reducing carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions and fulfilling emission targets for 2030 and 2050. Eleven different scenarios are articulated with estimated uncertainties for Mumbai Metropolitan Regions' (MMRs') passenger transportation using data extracted from MMR's Comprehensive Mobility Plan's transportation model. A novel methodology is developed to estimate local carbon budget targets from global targets between 2018 and 2050. The estimations indicate that carbon emissions in 'business as usual' scenario are 252%, 505%, and 55% above the targets for 2 °C, 1.5 °C, and Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC), respectively. Study also shows that introducing EVs in MMR without simultaneously improving EGs will generate more net CO 2 emissions than BAU. EVs with EG and T&D improvements are not enough to meet the estimated targets. However, their combined contribution significantly reduces CO 2 emission by half and reaches peak emission by 2025 from post-half-century. • Developed a novel methodology to estimate local carbon budget. • Transport emissions assessment with electric vehicle, electricity grid (EG), and T&D losses. • Interventions are unable to achieve carbon budget targets of 2 °C, 1.5 °C, and INDC. • Electric vehicles are not suitable without improving EG efficiency, and T&D losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon footprint of fishing activities is an utmost important study at present for mitigation of climate change. It is a simplified form of life cycle assessment (LCA) which measured total amount of carbon dioxide emissions. Assessment of emission and energy utilization in fishing were neglected earlier and very minimal information are available in Indian context. The present study analyzed the fuel consumption, energy utilized and carbon emission rate of trawlers from north-west coast of India. Efficiency of different categories of trawlers i.e., single-day (SD), multi-day small (MDS), multi-day medium (MDM) and multi-day large (MDL) trawlers was estimated. SD trawlers were found to be most efficient followed by MDM, MDL and MDS. Single-day fishing was significantly different from multi-day fishing in terms of fuel efficiency, energy intensity and carbon emission rate. A total of 1769 trawlers were operated from Versova (site I), SSD (Sassoon Dock) (site II) and NFW (New Ferry Wharf) (site III). Of these, more than 50% are MDL trawlers and 76% of the total fuel consumed by MDL trawlers. Trawlers of selected sites resulted into total diesel consumption of 119 million litres per year. The carbon emission due to combustion of diesel was 0.3 million tonnes which is 1/12th of total carbon emission by Indian fishing fleet. Considering the impacts of trawlers on environment, substantial phasing out of MDS trawlers and multi-day trawlers with high installed engine horsepower is necessary. The trawling operation in north-west coast of India needs a strict regulation in terms of number and engine horsepower. • Carbon footprints of trawlers operated off north west coast of India were studied. • Single-day trawlers were most efficient among other group of trawlers studied. • Trawling operation from this area had a total diesel consumption of 119 million litres. • Optimization of fishing capacity of trawlers would help in reduction of carbon emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Establishment-level analysis to put a price on greenhouse gas emission in freight transport sector. • Latent class analysis to divide establishments based on fleet-ownership patterns. • Examines the determinants of freight transport emission disaggregated by fleet segments. • Gross emitters in each fleet ownership segment are modeled for targeted policy interventions. • Implications for designing carbon tax and trading programs in developing economies like India. Concerns over transport energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions have lately prompted significant attention towards vehicle ownership patterns and the distributional implications of climate mitigation policies. This paper contributes to freight transport literature by examining how establishments can be meaningfully grouped using their fleet ownership pattern (size and composition) and how these segments vary in their freight travel pattern and CO 2 emission levels. The analysis performed using an establishment-based freight survey dataset from Kerala, a coastal state in India, revealed five latent classes of fleet ownership. The determinants of freight transport emissions and the gross emitters in fleet segments are presented subsequently by analyzing how the establishment-level characteristics (employment, business age, industry sector, value density, and relative location) explain the variation in CO 2 emissions. The study findings offer insights for designing effective carbon policy instruments and incentive schemes to regulate the establishment-level freight travel pattern and control transport emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High sediment carbon burial in semi-enclosed mangrove habitat with high NPP. • Low carbon burial in aquaculture converted mangrove habitat. • Biological factors like litterfall and crab density act as primary controls. • Secondary controls were sediment accumulation rates and grain size. Tropical mangrove environments have high carbon sequestration potential and this ecosystem service is currently used in mitigating climate change. However, these environments are declining rapidly in developing countries, diminishing their carbon sequestration potential and may ultimately transforming them as carbon dioxide sources. This study investigated the carbon sequestration potential through sediment burial at three mangrove habitats of Cochin, South-West coast of India. High burial estimates were recorded at two mangrove stations (2.95 ± 0.79–10.41 ± 2.50 t C ha−1 yr−1), but consistent with other tropical mangrove areas. Lower burial rates were estimated at one station (0.57 ± 0.24 t C ha−1 yr−1). Eighty percent of the mangrove net primary productivity through litterfall (NPP L) was stored in the sediment at the station with the highest burial rate, which is demonstrative of a robust carbon sink. However, at a different site, which is subject to aquaculture, only 7.23 % of NPP L was buried in the sediment. A major portion of the fixed carbon at this site is presumably emitted back to the atmosphere or exported to adjacent water bodies. The median total regional mangrove carbon burial rate in this study was 2.95 t C ha−1 yr−1 and the organic carbon burial rate was 1.93 ± 0.75 t C ha−1 yr−1. Biological factors such as mangrove biomass, litterfall and crab density have played a major role in controlling the sediment carbon burial rate. Sediment texture and bulk sediment accumulation acted as secondary controlling factors. The carbon source characterisation in the sediment profile using stable isotope techniques revealed the organic carbon origin as mangrove litter. Gaining a better understanding of carbon sources, burial rates and their controlling factors in mangrove habitats aids in regional climate mitigation efforts and global efforts to increase the carbon sequestration potential of tropical mangrove systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing and conserving carbon pools in vegetation is a major climate change mitigation strategy. The dynamics of carbon in terrestrial ecosystems depend on processes like photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition and combustion, anthropogenic activities like emission of greenhouse gases and climatic variations in rainfall and temperature, and is stored as biomass in different forms. The quantification of biomass is necessary to understand the productivity of forests, carbon sink and source dynamics and recommend ways to aid sequestration through supply side interventions like afforestation and demand side measures that check wood consumption. In this study, carbon sequestration based on the change in total carbon in two different scenarios using Markov chain and InVEST model is evaluated for the years 2000, 2018 and predicted for 2035. The results show that 1.351 Tg carbon has already been lost from 2000 to 2018 in the forest area of Sariska Tiger Reserve and another 0.107 Tg of carbon is expected to be lost in the predicted future, when we compare the land use land cover of the year 2035 with the present scenario. The local communities extract fuelwood by cutting down tree branches illegally, which leads to carbon loss into the atmosphere. The lower release of carbon in 2035 as compared to 2018 is because of forest management practices e.g., plantations done in the range Tehla-Talabberi, Sariska- Ganeshpura, Alwar buffer-Shoydanpura, Talvriksh-Manavaas, Akbarpur-Kalikhol, Ajabgarh-Jatwana. The study shows that the economic value of carbon lost from 2000 to 2018 is million $ 214.57 and if we see the economic value of the predicted year 2035, carbon sequestration is worth million $ 17.19. Outputs demonstrate the potential for restoration/reforestation and afforestation as the most practical carbon loss mitigation strategy and calls for improved access to cleaner energy sources where the renewable energy industry and government may pitch in. Image 1 • Markov chain and InVEST model were used to predict carbon sequestration. • Prediction maps revealed that open forest will be decreased in future. • Total carbon sequestration decreased 1.351 Tg during 2000–18. • It is predicted that −0.107 (Tg) carbon to be sequestered from 2018 to 35. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon footprint (CF) has emerged as an important yardstick to understand the total contribution of countries, sectors and individuals to climate change. In contrast to conventional emissions accounting which captures only territorial or local production activities, the CF includes the emissions imposed by consumption across global supply chains for goods and services. Recent interest has grown in the application of CF assessment for municipalities owing to their large contribution to global carbon emissions and the limited coverage of existing data to monitor their climate pledges. By linking household-level consumer surveys to a global supply chain database, spatially-explicit CF assessment is possible at a district and household scale. To date, such technique has exposed otherwise unforeseen differences in consumer carbon footprints in developed countries. Within this study we calculate and compare the household carbon footprints 623 districts in India, based on micro consumption data from 203,313 households and explain their variation by economic, cultural and demographic factors. We show the eradication of extreme poverty does not conflict with ambitious climate change mitigation in India. However, our analysis suggests CF reduction policies within India need to target high-expenditure households which are responsible for nearly seven times the carbon emissions than low-expenditure households (living on $1.9 consumption a day). These vast disparities between the carbon footprint of citizens in India highlights the need to differentiate individual responsibilities for climate change in national and global climate policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We assess the livelihood impacts of a forest carbon project across different socioeconomic categories of the participants. • The evidence suggests that livelihoods of all the participants especially small farmers have been adversely affected. • Issues such as binding land use, delayed benefits and displacement of existing livelihoods affect project viability. • Forest carbon project should have enough safety nets to mitigate livelihood risk of poor. Forest carbon projects, in addition to climate mitigation and conservation benefits, are expected to improve local livelihoods and contribute to poverty alleviation across developing countries. Despite substantial investments over last decade, there is limited empirical evidence on the livelihood impacts of these projects especially across different socioeconomic categories. This paper aims to contribute to this knowledge gap through an analysis of the livelihood impacts across small, medium and large categories of participating farmers in a forest carbon project from the state of Haryana in India. Data from 107 households have been analysed to study the impacts in terms of foregone crop, fodder and fuel wood benefits. The analysis suggests that the project has adversely affected the livelihoods of all three categories of farmers. However, small and marginal farmers are the most distressed due to their low incomes, asset base and risk-bearing capacities. It raises critical project design issues such as binding land use, delayed accrual of benefits, static opportunity costs and displacement of existing economic activities, which have serious livelihood and equity implications. Unless these issues are addressed and strong safety nets are provided, forest carbon projects might create more poverty than wellbeing for marginal communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Need for agri-waste derived biogas based circular economy has been discussed. • Anaerobic digestion is a promising technology for agri-waste valorisation in India. • Valorization of products of anaerobic digestion for circular economy has been discussed. • Barriers in supply chain and technical knowledge impede growth of circular economy. • Requirement of efficient implementation of policy and regulatory framework exists. Environmental deterioration and the need for energy security are intrinsic problems linked with the linear economy based on fossil fuels. Recently, a transformation to a sustainable circular bio-economy is being experienced where biomass waste is being valorized for energy production as well as minimization of waste and greenhouse gas emissions. The agricultural waste, generated in vast quantities in India is a prospective feedstock for biogas production. Agri-waste to biogas based circular economy requires an integration of agri-waste management, biogas production and utilization and policy support. This paper comprehensively discusses the potential of biogas production from agricultural waste, its upgradation and utilization along with the government initiatives, policy regulations. In addition, barriers that impede the development of an efficient agri-waste to biogas based circular economy, and the future research opportunities to meet the growing needs for agri-waste management, energy production and climate change mitigation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Productivity parameters of Cedrus deodara forests decreases with altitude. • Biomass and soil carbon of Cedrus deodara forests decreases with altitude. • Litterfall production also decreased with altitude. Carbon inventories are urgently needed for understanding climate dynamics and implementing climate mitigation strategies, but such data is scarce in for forest ecosystem of Himalaya. Therefore, the present study focuses to supplement the existing information by estimating carbon stocks in temperate forests dominated by Cedrus deodara along the altitudinal gradients in the Central Himalaya. Three altitudes i.e., lower (1750 m), middle (1900 m) and upper (2050 m) of the stand was considered to understand and estimate biomass and soil carbon storage potential of the forests based on the standard protocol. The results showed that the soil carbon stock (SOC) decreased significantly with increasing soil depths and altitudes. Litterfall production in the forests varied adversely with altitude. Above and below-ground biomass carbon stock also decreased along with altitude. The study observed that the total carbon stock (soil, trees and forest floor) of the Cedrus deodara forest in different altitudes was 395.4 t ha−1 (lower altitude), 321.6 t ha−1 (middle altitude) and 282.5 t ha−1 (upper altitude). The estimates of the Cedrus forests would provide guidelines for estimating carbon for forest-based mitigation activities in the Himalayan region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]