Heat Waves as a Human Rights Concern: NHRC Calls for Ward‑Level Resilience and Climate‑Smart Cities

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has declared heat waves a pressing human rights issue, urging governments to integrate heat resilience into urban planning, worker protection, and ecosystem restoration. At its June 4, 2026 meeting in New Delhi, the Commission gathered experts, policymakers, and civil society leaders to deliberate on strategies for reducing heat‑related mortality and morbidity.

Human Rights Lens on Heat Stress

• Justice V. Ramasubramanian (Chairperson, NHRC): Emphasised that deforestation, wetland loss, and encroachment on water bodies are key drivers of heat stress. Called for strict regulation of construction near rivers and lakes and stronger enforcement of urban planning norms.
• Justice (Dr.) Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi: Highlighted the need to balance urban expansion with environmental safeguards, ensuring green spaces for future generations.
• Shri Bharat Lal (Secretary General, NHRC): Warned that heat waves disproportionately affect construction workers, gig workers, elderly persons, pregnant women, and children, making resilience a matter of social justice.

Scientific and Institutional Perspectives

• Prof. N. H. Ravindranath (IISc): Advocated AI‑driven vulnerability mapping, ward‑level forecasting, and appointment of dedicated Heat Officers.
• India Meteorological Department (IMD): Projected above‑normal heat wave days in June 2026, stressing the importance of multi‑tier forecasting and direct advisories to vulnerable groups.
• National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA): Reported that 23 states have Heat Action Plans, but urged stronger district‑level implementation and dedicated funding.
• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW): Warned of rising heat‑related health risks by 2035, calling for expanded surveillance, hospital preparedness, and medical training.

Urban and Policy Recommendations

• Ward‑level heat vulnerability maps using GIS, AI, and land surface temperature data.
• Institutionalisation of Heat Action Plans across states and cities, with governance dashboards and inter‑departmental coordination.
• Unified surveillance systems for heat‑related mortality and morbidity.
• Occupational heat‑safety standards and community cooling centres for vulnerable populations.
• Heat‑resilient urban design: Passive cooling, cool roofs, reflective materials, ventilation corridors.
• Nature‑based solutions: Urban forests, green corridors, wetland buffers, restoration of rivers and lakes.
• Sustainable water management: Rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, wastewater reuse.
• Public awareness campaigns with multilingual outreach, including voice alerts for digitally excluded groups.
• Integration into city master plans and budgets, backed by dedicated funding and institutional support.

Expert Voices

• Ahmedabad’s Heat Action Plan: Showcased as a pioneering model, reducing heat‑related deaths through early warning systems, cool roofs, shaded spaces, and worker protection.
• Dr. Promode Kant (AIWC): Suggested reflective roofs, transplantation of larger plants, and shade expansion around schools.
• Dr. Prerna Joshi (NIDM): Called for legal enforcement of worker protections and decentralised green spaces.
• Patricia Mukhim (Shillong Times): Warned of weak enforcement of environmental laws in the North‑East, stressing protection of rivers and forests.
• Dr. Shalini Dhyani (CSIR‑NEERI): Advocated ecosystem‑based urban planning and equitable distribution of green spaces.

Conclusion

The NHRC’s deliberations underline that heat resilience is not just an environmental challenge but a human rights imperative. The Commission will refine these recommendations before submitting them to the Centre and state governments, aiming to mainstream heat resilience into India’s urban and climate governance.

Mission Mausam: Making Bharat Weather-Ready and Climate-Smart

India’s tropical weather is notoriously complex, with sudden cloudbursts, lightning storms, and localized droughts often catching communities off guard. As climate change intensifies, the challenge of predicting these events has grown sharper. To address this, the Ministry of Earth Sciences has launched Mission Mausam, a ₹2,000 crore national initiative approved by the Union Cabinet to transform India’s weather and climate forecasting capabilities between 2024–2026.

Why Mission Mausam Matters

• Forecast accuracy has improved 40–50% in the past decade.
• Current models operate at 12 km resolution, limiting small-scale forecasts.
• Mission Mausam will reduce resolution to 6 km for Panchayat-level predictions.
• Goal: Make Bharat a Weather-ready and Climate-smart nation.

Key Objectives

• Deploy next-generation radars and satellites.
• Establish high-performance computing (HPC) systems.
• Use AI/ML tools to enhance prediction accuracy.
• Develop earth system models for atmosphere, ocean, and polar regions.
• Create last-mile dissemination systems via apps, websites, and social media.
• Foster academia-industry partnerships and incubation centres.

Strategy in Action

Initiative	Details
Weather Infrastructure	50 Doppler Radars, 60 RS/RW, 100 disdrometers, 25 radiometers
Testbeds	Urban and process testbeds for cloud and land studies
Forecasting	AI-driven nowcast systems with hourly updates
Weather Modification	Cloud seeding experiments using drones and aircraft
Air Quality	New monitoring instruments for smart cities
Decision Support	Automated DSS for disaster management authorities

Who Benefits

• Farmers: Precise rainfall forecasts for crop planning.
• Civil aviation and transport: Improved storm tracking.
• Smart cities and health services: Enhanced air quality predictions.
• Defence and disaster management: Real-time decision support.
• Energy, shipping, tourism, and urban planning sectors gain resilience.

Implementation Network

• IMD: Observations, services, dissemination.
• IITM: Field campaigns, modeling, testbeds.
• NCMRWF: Data assimilation and seamless prediction.
• Support: INCOIS, NIOT, NCPOR, CWC, GSI, DGRE, academia, industry.

Expected Outcomes

• No weather system goes undetected.
• Hourly nowcasts instead of every 3 hours.
• Forecast accuracy improved by 5–10%.
• Panchayat-level forecasts at 5–6 km resolution.
• Enhanced air quality forecasts for smart cities.
• Weather interventions: fog dispersal, hail suppression, rain enhancement.
• India positioned as a leader in impact-based forecasting for the Global South.

Conclusion

Mission Mausam is more than a weather project—it is a national resilience strategy. By combining advanced technology, AI-driven models, and grassroots-level dissemination, India is preparing to face the twin challenges of climate change and extreme weather. The mission promises to make Bharat not just weather-aware, but truly weather-ready and climate-smart.

World’s First Category 5 Cyclone of 2026 Emerges in Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean has witnessed a dramatic weather event: Tropical Cyclone Horacio has exploded into a Category 5 storm, the most powerful classification for tropical cyclones. With sustained winds exceeding 252 km/h (157 mph), Horacio is now the strongest storm on Earth in 2026.

A Category 5 storm is the highest and most destructive classification on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, defined by sustained winds of 157 mph (252 km/h) or higher. These storms cause catastrophic damage, often rendering affected areas uninhabitable for weeks or months

What Happened

• Horacio intensified at an unprecedented pace, leaping from about 104 km/h to 257 km/h in just 24 hours.
• Its central pressure dropped sharply from 963 mb to 930 mb, a hallmark of explosive strengthening.
• Satellite images reveal a well-defined eye, confirming its Category 5 status.

Where It Is

• The cyclone is currently swirling over the South Indian Ocean, south of Madagascar.
• India is not in its direct path, but meteorologists are tracking its movements closely.
• For now, no immediate landfall threat exists, though nearby island nations could face dangerous seas and weather.

Why It Matters

• First Category 5 cyclone of 2026: Horacio sets the tone for what could be an active storm year.
• Climate connection: Warmer ocean waters, linked to climate change, are believed to be fueling such rapid intensification.
• Global concern: Scientists warn that extreme storms like Horacio may become more frequent as oceans continue to heat up.

The Bigger Picture

Cyclone Horacio is more than just a weather event—it’s a wake-up call. Its explosive growth highlights how climate change is reshaping storm behavior, making them stronger and faster to intensify. While Horacio may stay out at sea, its sheer power underscores the importance of preparedness for coastal nations and continued research into how warming oceans drive extreme weather.

Delhi's First Cloud Seeding Set for October 29

Silver Iodide flares on cloud seeding Airplane | Silver Iodide in zoomed circle (Image - SciencePhotos.com)

In a historic move to combat post-Diwali pollution, Delhi is preparing for its first-ever artificial rain through cloud seeding on October 29, 2025. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has called the initiative a "necessity" to address the city's severe air quality crisis.

So, let me take you inside the unfolding story of Delhi’s first-ever cloud seeding operation—a tale of science, urgency, and air.

As the smog of Diwali settles over the city, a new kind of aircraft prepares for takeoff—not to ferry passengers, but to summon rain from the sky. On October 29, 2025, Delhi will attempt something unprecedented: artificial rain to cleanse its air.

The mission begins with a flare. Mounted on the wings of a specially equipped plane, these flares contain silver iodide, a compound known to mimic ice crystals. As the aircraft ascends into the humid layers above Delhi, the flares ignite, releasing particles into the clouds. If the conditions are right—if the clouds are thick and the humidity high—these particles will coax water droplets to form, grow, and fall as rain.

But this isn’t just chemistry. It’s choreography.

Teams from IIT Kanpur, armed with real-time meteorological data, monitor every movement. They track cloud density, wind patterns, and moisture levels, waiting for the perfect moment. A trial run in Burari offered lessons: the humidity was too low, the clouds too thin. Still, the scientists remain undeterred. The window between October 28 and 30 holds promise.

This isn’t the first time cloud seeding has been used—but it is the first time Delhi deploys it not for drought relief, but to fight pollution. The stakes are high. PM2.5 levels have surged to their worst since January. Even a light drizzle could settle the dust, clear the air, and offer millions a breath of relief.

So as the city holds its breath, the skies may soon respond—with a rain not born of nature, but summoned by science.

What Is Cloud Seeding?

• Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique that involves dispersing substances like silver iodide into clouds to stimulate rainfall.
• The goal in Delhi is to use this method to wash away smog and particulate matter, especially after Diwali when pollution levels spike.

Trial and Execution

• A trial run was conducted in Burari, where flares containing rain-inducing chemicals were released from an aircraft.
• Although the trial didn’t produce rain due to low humidity, officials remain optimistic about the full-scale operation.
• The project is being supervised by IIT Kanpur, with the full operation expected between October 28–30.

Kudos to @IITKanpur for this massive success!

After 6 years of research & efforts, IIT Kanpur researchers have successfully tested artificial rain or cloud-seeding technology.

My heartiest congratulations to them and best wishes to the entire team! pic.twitter.com/hIXucjWe2C

— Zubin Ashara (@zubinashara) July 3, 2023

Why It Matters

• Delhi’s PM2.5 levels have surged to their highest since January, prompting urgent action.
• Even mild showers from cloud seeding could significantly reduce airborne pollutants and offer temporary relief.

India Delivers Powerful Statement at CoP29 UN Climate Change Summit

During the High-Level Ministerial Dialogue on Climate Change Adaptation at the CoP29 UN Climate Change Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, India delivered a powerful statement.

India highlighted that the developing world is disproportionately suffering from the impacts of climate change, which are largely due to historical emissions by developed countries. 

The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are putting the survival of people, especially in poor nations, at risk.

India called for a significant boost in climate change adaptation finance, emphasizing the need for developed countries to fulfill their commitments.

India is in the process of developing its National Adaptation Plan and estimated adaptation capital requirements of up to $850 billion.

India stressed the urgent need for enhanced support and implementation resources from developed countries to help developing countries meet adaptation target.

Informing the gathering about India’s initiatives towards combating Climate Change, India's Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh said that the country has achieved the 2015 NDC targets on emission intensity reduction and non fossil based installed electricity generation capacity much earlier than 2030 and have further enhanced its ambition.

India's official statement read, “Developing countries are suffering the impacts of climate change largely due to the historical emissions of Developed countries. For us as developing countries, our people’s lives - their very survival - and their livelihoods are at stake.”

Talking on the importance of accessibility to credible Climate Finance to the Global South, India’s statement read, “The CoP28 Global stocktake decision emphasized the need to bridge the tremendous gap in adaptation, gaps in implementation that arise from the lack of sufficient attention and resources. Additionally, at CoP28, parties to the Paris Agreement adopted the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience. This framework acknowledges the urgent need for enhanced support and implementation resources from Developed countries to help Developing countries meet adaptation targets. 768 mobilization should go beyond previous efforts, supporting country-driven strategies while respecting the unique needs of developing countries.”

India's statement underscored the importance of equitable and just climate action, urging developed nations to step up their support for climate adaptation in developing countries.

Europe and the US

The EU has urged wealthier, high-emitting developing nations to voluntarily contribute to climate finance. European Commissioner for Climate Action, Wopke Hoekstra, emphasized that "affluence brings responsibility" and encouraged these nations to contribute based on their emissions and economic growth.

United States: The US has supported strong financial aid for climate efforts in poorer nations and endorsed the use of financial mechanisms to raise funds. US officials have also highlighted the importance of global cooperation and the need for ambitious climate commitments from all nations.

Both the EU and the US are advocating for a new climate finance package to help developing countries transition to clean energy, adapt to climate change, and deal with weather disasters. 

PM Modi Dedicates India Three Supercomputers and An HPC System for Climate Research

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi dedicates to nation three PARAM Rudra Supercomputers via video conferencing

Inaugurates High-Performance Computing (HPC) system tailored for weather and climate research

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated three PARAM Rudra supercomputers to the nation via video conferencing. These supercomputers, developed under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) at a cost of around ₹130 crore, have been deployed in Pune, Delhi, and Kolkata.

The PARAM Rudra supercomputers are designed to facilitate advanced research in fields such as physics, earth sciences, and cosmology.

Additionally, a High-Performance Computing (HPC) system tailored for weather and climate research was also inaugurated. This initiative marks a significant step towards self-reliance in computing and driving innovation in science and technology in India.

This project represents an investment of Rs. 850 crore, marking a significant leap in India's computational capabilities for meteorological applications. Located at two key sites, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune and the National Center for Medium Range Weather Forecast (NCMRWF) in Noida, this HPC system has extraordinary computing power.

The new HPC systems are named 'Arka' and 'Arunika,' reflecting their connection to the Sun. These high-resolution models will significantly enhance the accuracy and lead time of predictions related to tropical cyclones, heavy precipitation, thunderstorms, hailstorms, heat waves, droughts, and other critical weather phenomena.

Addressing the occasion, the Prime Minister said that today marks a huge achievement in the field of science and technology for India and is a reflection of the nation’s progress by prioritizing research and development. “Today’s India is carving new opportunities in the endless horizon of possibilities”, the Prime Minister remarked. The Prime Minister mentioned the development of three PARAM Rudra Supercomputers by India’s scientists and their installation in Delhi, Pune and Kolkata, and also spoke about the inauguration of ‘Arka’ and ‘Arunika’, a High-Performance Computing (HPC) system tailored for weather and climate research. The Prime Minister conveyed his best wishes to the entire scientific community, engineers and all citizens.

The Prime Minister dedicated the three PARAM Rudra Supercomputers to the youth of the nation as he recalled granting 25 extra days apart from the 100 days towards youth at the onset of the third term. He underlined that these supercomputers will play a crucial role towards making such state-of-the-art technology available to young scientists in the country and highlighted its usage in aiding advanced research in the fields of physics, earth sciences and cosmology. Such sectors, the Prime Minister said, envision the future of science and technology.

For the 1st Time, AI Beats Conventional Weather Forecasting by Accurately Predicting Weather 3-10 Days Ahead, in Less Than A Minute

For the first time, Artificial Intelligence (AI) models are leading in making weather predictions 3 to 10 days ahead.

The GraphCast Al model, developed by Google DeepMind, uses a machine-learning model that has learned from more than 40 years of weather forecasts.

It outperformed the conventional forecasting method in 90% of the 1,380 metrics used, which included temperature, pressure, wind speed and direction, and humidity at different levels of the atmosphere, Google DeepMind said in a peer-reviewed paper.

Developed by Google’s AI company DeepMind in London, GraphCast outperforms conventional and AI-based approaches at most global weather-forecasting tasks. Researchers first trained the model using estimates of past global weather made from 1979 to 2017 by physical models. This allowed GraphCast to learn links between weather variables such as air pressure, wind, temperature and humidity.

The trained model uses the ‘current’ state of global weather and weather estimates from 6 hours earlier to predict the weather 6 hours ahead. Earlier predictions are fed back into the model, enabling it to make estimates further into the future.

The standard conventional method called numerical weather prediction (NWP) uses mathematical models based on physical principles. These physical models crunch weather data from buoys , satellites and weather stations worldwide using supercomputers. The calculations accurately map out how heat, air and water vapour move through the atmosphere, but they are expensive and energy-intensive to run.

DeepMind researchers found that GraphCast could use global weather estimates from 2018 to make forecasts up to 10 days ahead in less than a minute, and the predictions were more accurate than the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)'s High RESolution forecasting system (HRES) — one version of the UK's NWP — which takes hours to forecast. Notably, ECMWF provides world-leading weather predictions up to 15 days in advance.

The GraphCast model can run from a desktop computer and makes more accurate predictions than conventional models in minutes rather than hours.

“GraphCast currently is leading the race amongst the AI models,” says computer scientist Aditya Grover at University of California, Los Angeles.

The model is described in Science on 14 November.

In the troposphere, which is the part of the atmosphere closest to the surface that affects us all the most, GraphCast outperforms HRES on more than 99% of the 12,00 measurements done by Deepmind researchers.

Across all levels of the atmosphere, GraphCast model outperformed HRES on 90% of weather predictions.

Earlier in last month, IndianWeb2.com reported that researchers from the Universities of California at Berkeley and Santa Cruz, and the Technical University of Munich, unveiled the Recurrent Earthquake foreCAST (RECAST), a deep learning model for improved earthquake forecasting.

Climate Asia Hosted A Panel Discussion to Unpack Green Jobs for Women and a Path to Climate Solutions

Climate Asia organized a panel discussion titled "Green Jobs for Women: A Path to Climate Solutions". The panel was designed to discuss aspects of the green jobs ecosystem for women and explore how it can contribute to addressing climate change. The event brought together experts in the field: Reemaben Nanavaty, Director of Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA), Huda Jaffer, Director of SELCO Foundation, and Prerna Seth, Fellow at JustJobs Network. The discussion was moderated by Aiswarya Ananthapadmanabhan, AVP for Arthan's Women at Work Initiative.

Reemaben Nanavaty, in her opening remarks, called women “custodians of our environment” who are “always practicing greenways.” Citing an inspirational example from her organization, Reemaben narrated the story of Sarojben, a young entrepreneur from Gujarat who, by choosing to use biogas instead of wood for cooking, not only cut down on the amount of walking for her mother and the other women in the village community but also turned it into a lucrative source of income by selling it to farms as manure. The innovative practice saw a ripple effect by making farming more sustainable too. This example testified to women being game changers in the green field.

Building on this, Huda Jaffer drew attention to the “scope of green jobs in energy and energy efficient environments at both supply and demand side.” She emphasized including women as “innovators, solution developers, service providers, and designers.” She also drew attention to the uneven gender representation on the usability side because climate-smart technology is not created from a gender-centric lens.

Prerna Seth opined the need to unpack key concepts as a first step and described green jobs as “decent jobs that contribute to preserving or protecting the environment.” She further decoded the dichotomy of green and brown jobs. Calling attention to data on the declining women force participation, from 26.8 in 2015 to 20.5 in 2021, which is mostly concentrated on informal work, she insisted that “strategies needed for green jobs for women are the same as strategies to bring women into the workforce” She also emphasized that it was significant to question what is keeping women labor away from the workforce while being mindful of the changing environment.

Reemaben also highlighted how women’s work often goes unrecognized. She said, “women already working in the informal sector towards green jobs are not recognized as green jobs at all.” She further cited examples of street vendors, handloom weavers, and artisans to illustrate how R&D and financing do not go to these types of work but that these types of work are not even recognized as sustainable. She discussed that the solution lies in building capital, assets, technology, and green market while recognizing traditional skills. She also emphasized the need for a decentralized local economy to build community resilience.

Huda explained, “encompassing all three parameters of sustainability including, social, financial and environmental into the discussion.” Building upon the topic of a decentralized economy, she provided functional solutions like taking opportunities closer to the doorstep, reducing bottlenecks in hiring women, and making jobs more accessible without significant barriers.

Prerna added to the easily implementable solutions, including safe transport, safe working spaces, and daycare. She also decoded how the conception of women in the workforce comes off as a challenge because women are viewed as beneficiaries rather than valuable agents. She emphasized the urgency of changing this at the policy level. Furthermore, she highlighted the role of social norms at the industry level, making the factory floor male-dominated, especially when women are interested in those jobs but cannot access them.

On the question of the skills gap and capacity building for women, Prerna mentioned how women’s skilling programs are directly linked to women getting into the workforce. At a systems level, it is important first to understand the required skills and then impart those skills. Moreover, she said, “In the process of addressing gaps and skills, a collaboration between government and industry is needed.”

Reemaben emphasized that the approach to imparting skills should not be limited to a singular focus on individuals but rather encompass an entire ecosystem. This highlights the importance of a holistic approach that involves various stakeholders and recognizes the interconnectedness of different components within a system. She illustrated this point by highlighting the success of green villages, where women are empowered to take charge of energy planning and budgeting at both the household and village level. Through collaboration with panchayats, these women can lead the way in implementing sustainable energy technologies at the local level, positively impacting the entire community.

Huda raised an essential concern about skill-building initiatives for women, pointing out that many of these programs reinforce gender stereotypes by focusing on traditional activities such as candle making or sewing. This narrow focus can create a significant gap between women's aspirations and their skill level, hindering their ability to achieve their full potential. To address this issue, Huda proposed two solutions. Firstly, she suggested that the content of these initiatives must be reviewed to ensure that it is gender-inclusive and reflective of women's diverse interests and needs. Secondly, she recommended providing forward linkages, such as job opportunities, to ensure women have access to employment matching their newly acquired skills. By adopting these strategies, skill-building initiatives can empower women to reach their goals and contribute more effectively to their communities and societies.

The three experts also touched upon the role of partnership and collaboration, which are of utmost importance in addressing systemic challenges. Government stakeholders play a huge role in scalability in every aspect, including tech and finance. From a research standpoint, having well-versed individuals in the labor market and experts in energy or climate ecosystems is important. Additionally, the collaborations should come with women working on their terms.

The session ended with a Q&A where the guests addressed some important concerns of the audience, providing them with advice and solutions.

Climate Asia (www.climateasia.org) is dedicated to strengthening the climate ecosystem in Asia through the capacity building of organizations focusing on human capital, organizational development, and thought leadership. We will accomplish this by building a movement to inspire people to work in the climate, a platform to find climate opportunities: jobs, funding, events, and news.

The Women at Work initiative aims to bring more women leaders to the impact sector while making the organizations they are part of more inclusive. The Women at Work Initiative will work to make the development sector conducive for women to join, grow and lead the workforce by building capacities of organizations to accelerate DEI practices, facilitate learning and growth opportunities for women jobseekers and leaders, and provide knowledge, networking, and collaboration avenues.

Climate Asia Addresses Many Pertinent Issues Around Climate in Its Masterclass

The masterclass by Climate Asia touches upon various issues around investments, consulting, entrepreneurship, and more.

Earlier this week, Climate Asia organized a virtual masterclass on the theme of “Climate Career Opportunities: Investments / Consulting / Entrepreneurship” with expert guest speaker Santosh K Singh (Partner and Managing Director at Intellecap).

They were conducted to bring climate literacy to public discourse; the session covered several essential themes around climate challenges and solutions, emerging areas in climate careers, and essential skills to make a career in climate space.

Santosh opened the session with the remark, “Climate change is not one sector anymore; it is ‘the’ sector that affects everything.” He further highlighted that one doesn’t have to specifically pursue a career in climate, as working in any organization can have climate as a dimension.

The session also covered the solutions to deal with the climate crisis, which is frequently neglected yet extremely important. Singh identifies four comprehensive approaches that address every facet of the issue: Economics, Behaviour, Policy, and Technology. Additionally, he accentuated the inalienable and mutually coexisting nature of all four approaches.

Further, Santosh highlighted the emerging areas in climate careers, including ESG and Climate risk, carbon market and solutions, nature-based solutions, and climate finance. He narrowed down the career option with its corresponding skills into three categories:

1. Entrepreneurs: For entrepreneurs, problem-solving, business development, fundraising, and business operation and management are quintessential. A career in E-mobility, Clean Tech, Sustainable Buildings, and Climate Smart Agriculture could be explored based on these skills.
2. Investors: Conceptual reasoning, analytical prowess, financial modeling, and due diligence are essential qualities for an investor. ESG investments, climate financing, and PE/VC investors are a few possibilities to investigate based on these skills.
3. Service providers: Service providers excel in problem-solving, communications, presentation and writing skills, and business development. This can place them in Strategy Consulting, Implementation Support, Research, and Advisory support roles.

Speaker also talked extensively about ESG and Climate Risk Advisory, focusing on Audit, advice, reporting and analysis, and research. He also took up the significance of the Carbon market and solutions.

In response to one of the points raised during the session about the transition or movement towards climate professions, Santosh suggested that the best course of action would be to define proper steps, which entails awareness, understanding, expertise, and vision.

The interactive session concluded with a discussion around entry-level jobs in climate space which could be viewed from the lens of the carbon project developer & via consulting assignments, climate financing, recruitment drives, and more.

Cisco and Villgro Launch Accelerator Program ‘TVARAN’ to Support Upcoming Women-led Climate Solution Startups in India

Winners will get up to 1 crore financial support, and access to Villgro & CISCO’s network of technology, industry and business experts and investors

Villgro and CISCO India Cash Grant Program have jointly announced the launch of TVARAN, an initiative that will support the growth of India's women-led social enterprises in climate action. One of its kind in design, the program aims to expand the market presence of women-led start-ups innovating in renewable energy, water and waste management and climate-smart agriculture.

According to the World Economic Forum (source), women are more affected by climate change than men, and yet greentech is currently a male-dominated field. Moreover, it is well documented that the participation of women in climate response actions leads to better outcomes overall. However, one of the largely unaddressed challenges for women entrepreneurs remains access to markets. TVARAN aims to overcome this problem, through a focused market-entry and market expansion program to help five of the country’s upcoming women-led climate solutions.

“Powering an inclusive future for all is CISCO’s purpose. Through our partnership with Villgro, we are announcing our commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs driving climate resilience through their business. We are excited at this unique opportunity and look forward to staying closely engaged with the startups,” Harish Krishnan, Managing Director & Chief Policy Officer, CISCO India & SAARC said.

The 6-month targeted acceleration is a high-engagement initiative that is designed to finance and implement the go-to-market strategies of women entrepreneurs. Through the acceleration program, Villgro and CISCO will deploy support mechanisms in the form of financial support of INR 1 crore (up to INR 20 Lakhs per start-up), as well as support the capacity building, business planning, mentorship and peer learning, focussed towards the implementation of go-to-market strategies.

Jenaan Lilani Bhargava, Chief Operating Officer, Villgro Innovations Foundation said, “Villgro's work with women entrepreneurs has had a steadfast focus on market access enablement. That is where we believe ecosystem support is yet inadequate, and where Villgro can add the most value. TVARAN has been born out of this belief, with the objective of increasing the market presence of women-led solutions to climate change. We are grateful to have found a committed partner in CISCO towards this mission.”

Call for applications is now open for TVARAN. Start-ups in the climate action sector that are founded/co-founded by women with at least 50% shareholding, playing an active decision making role are eligible to apply.

To participate in the program, visit: https://villgro.org/current-programs/#cause-1

About Villgro

Villgro is India's foremost and one of the world's largest social enterprise incubators. Established in 2001, Villgro’s mission is to make innovative, impactful businesses succeed in Health, Agribusiness, and Climate Action. Since 2001, Villgro has supported 340 social enterprises that have raised over INR 4.28 billion in investments, created 5646 jobs and impacted over 20.8 million lives. Villgro was awarded the Top Incubator Award by the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (GoI) in 2020 and the DivHERsity awards in 2022.

About CISCO

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in technology that powers the Internet. Cisco inspires new possibilities by reimagining your applications, securing your data, transforming your infrastructure, and empowering your teams for a global and inclusive future. Discover more on The Newsroom and follow us on Twitter. The India Cash Grant program uses innovation to identify new ways to solve challenges and partners with civil society agencies and key stakeholders to collaborate effectively. Our partners help create technology-based solutions that improve lives and enable an inclusive future for all. Reflecting Cisco’s global CSR efforts, our purpose in India goes beyond profits to benefit our employees, communities, and the planet. You can learn more via this link: https://www.cisco.com/c/en_in/about/csr/india-cash-grants.html

Introducing ClimBridge – A B2B Marketplace Exclusively for Sustainable Climate Solutions

ClimBridge is a curated marketplace that offers a wide range of sustainability products and solutions. 

GPS Renewables, a Bengaluru-based bioenergy technology firm, has launched ClimBridge, a curated B2B marketplace exclusively for sustainable climate solutions. ClimBridge aims to help businesses discover products and solutions that can cater to their climate needs.

ClimBridge is a one-stop discovery platform that provides solutions that cover the whole range of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate-related themes. From air quality products to waste-to-energy solutions, the platform offers an array of solutions that help address climate change, and speed up sustainability and climate solution adoption.

Each product listed on ClimBridge is carefully vetted and selected by a team of multi-domain industry veterans. The products are rigorously evaluated to ensure effective and quality listings. Furthermore, the marketplace also helps businesses save on time and effort, which would otherwise be spent on product discovery, trial, and error. Additionally, ClimBridge has put together a dedicated team of climate enthusiasts who can handhold businesses through the entire sales process and beyond.

Commenting on the ClimBridge, Mainak Chakraborty, Founder and CEO, GPS Renewables, said, “Businesses across India have been grappling with the effects of climate change and it's been a huge challenge for them to find trustworthy solutions to address this. The entire process of discovering credible, trustworthy, and viable sustainability products is cumbersome and time-consuming. With ClimBridge, we want to address this issue and create a seamless platform for businesses to easily discover climate solutions that are carefully evaluated and verified by industry experts”. 

Nipun OS, Chief Sustainability Officer, GPS Renewables, said, “India has committed to achieving SDG Goals by 2030. To further strengthen India’s commitment, we need strong collaboration between the public and private sectors and from other key stakeholders involved. We need an approach where governments, industry bodies, and other entities can work together towards meeting the SDG Goals. As a climate first company, our objective at GPS Renewables is to drive sustainability at scale. With ClimBridge, we aim to help responsible and climate-conscious corporates accelerate their climate adoption.”

Commenting on the new platform, Varun Karad, Chief Business Officer, GPS Renewables, said, “We are thrilled to launch a new digital platform that can help businesses effectively realise their climate goals. With ClimBridge, we are bringing the highly fragmented sustainability market under one umbrella. It's a digital platform for discovering high-tech climate solutions. We offer end to end solutions and our sales process is aided by a dedicated channel network. Furthermore, we also cater to customised requirements of businesses."

For more details, visit, https://climbridge.in/

Visaka Industries To Build First-of-Its-Kind Climate Lab for Anant University's Ahmedabad Campus

Visaka Industries Limited, a leading name in indigenous sustainable construction materials, has collaborated with Anant University, to help build a first-of-its-kind Climate Lab for their Ahmedabad campus. The lab will be fabricated using Visaka’s Vnext Fibre Cement Boards, which are an eco-friendly alternative to climate-damaging plywood & gypsum and the entire lab will be powered using Visaka’s proprietary and patented ATUM Solar – World’s 1st Integrated Solar Roof.

Commenting on the launch of this collaboration programme, Vamsi Gaddam, Joint Managing Director, Visaka Industries – “There is no denying the impact of climate change. It affects us every day and in every aspect of our lives. We applaud Anant National University for taking the initiative to build this Climate Lab and are extremely proud to have been involved in its construction with our eco-friendly boards and integrated solar roof. We have been in the sustainable building materials industry for four decades and have no doubt that THIS is the need of the hour - to educate our students, and our future, and pass the baton of responsibility to them. Congratulations, Anant U. "Here's to a more sustainable tomorrow.”

Furthering the thought, Dr Anunaya Chaubey – Provost, AnantU, said, “As the world is realising the severity and impact of climate change, we have to intensify efforts to study, research and build sustainable solutions. Anant Climate Lab is our effort in that direction. Here the students will get a chance to experiment, test and build on their ideas. Hand-on experience is crucial for such new and evolving sectors as climate sciences and technology”.

About Visaka Industries Limited

Visaka Industries Limited was established in 1981. The company is publicly listed with an annual turnover of 1500 Cr. Their brands include Vnext – India’s Largest Selling Brand of Fibre Cement Boards, ATUM Solar – The World’s 1st Electricity Generating Solar Roof, The Wonder Yarn – Sustainable Yarn Made from Recycled PET Bottles and ATUM Charge Solar Powered EV Charging Station and ATUM Life – First-of-its-kind Sustainable Experience Centre.

Global Climate School Terra.do Hosting India’s 1st Online Climate Job Fair

Recruiters from TATA Power, Yulu, ElectricPe, Pyse, Climes and more will offer job opportunities across verticals

Jobs across software development, web and application development, design, data analytics, executive, research and more will be offered

Terra.do, a global climate school and careers platform, will host India’s first online climate jobs fair on its app on 20th July, 2022. Recruiters and Hiring Managers from TATA Power, Yulu, ElectricPe, Pyse, String Bio, Climes and more will be recruiting for diverse roles at the fair.

Interested candidates need to register on Terra.do’s app where they can also be part of a network of thousands of climate enthusiasts. Registration for employers, recruiters and hiring managers is also open. The event is free for all. On the app, the candidates can shortlist the roles they are interested in and attend live presentations by the employers followed by Q&A. The app will also allow candidates to deep dive with hiring managers 1:1 to understand more about the company's culture, team growth, problems they are solving, and more.

The job fair will benefit professionals across skills and sectors. The event will include job offers in software, hardware and design, data science and analysis, managerial, communication, research, sales, consumer relations and more. Job profiles include, but are not limited to, React Native, Frontend Developer, UX/UI designers, iOS developers, DevOps, Full Stack, Web developer, Product Development, Sustainability Expert, Researchers, Business and Sales Managers, Consumer and Business Relations, and more. The employers are offering both remote and on-site jobs across Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and other Tier-I cities.

Employers are from a range of industries including Power, Energy and Renewable Energy, Automobile, Big Data, Finance, Biotechnology, GeoScience, and more. While some companies are ClimateTech, the others are transitioning to sustainability and a climate conscious mode of business.

On the announcement of the job fair, Anshuman Bapna, CEO and Co-Founder, Terra.do, said, “By 2030, Terra.do aims to bring 100mn climate professionals into the workforce to solve the climate crisis. It uses the trifecta of education, networking & actions to enable climate skilling and career development. According to a report by PwC, Climate tech is booming across sectors. Green Jobs are being created every minute in tech and business functions ranging from software engineering to marketing to business development and more. The Government of India has also launched the Skill Council for Green Jobs aligned to the National Skill Development Mission, promoted by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Delhi and Tamil Nadu governments among others have also promised green jobs in their policies.”

About Terra.do

Terra.do is a global climate career platform founded in 2020 by Anshuman Bapna, Dr. Kamal Kapadia, and Mayank Jain with the mission to get 100 million people working in climate by 2030.

The platform brings together a wide-ranging community of professionals from critical climate industries such as energy, mobility, and regenerative agriculture and top experts in areas such as policy, science, and finance. Its immersive, cohort-based climate learning programs boast several thousand graduates from 25+ countries. Through Terra.do’s job fairs, talent drops to employers, and rich network, its members have found roles in hundreds of leading climate tech companies and Fortune 100 sustainability teams and founded dozens of climate startups.

Gspatial.ai - One of Its Kind Platform for Bulk Historical Air Quality and Weather Data Launched

Ambee’s Gspatial.ai will offer street-by-street, hourly historical air quality, and weather data for over 70+ countries covering the last 20+ years

Businesses, researchers, and government bodies can utilize Gspatial.ai’s historical air quality and weather data to mitigate climate change loss through deep insights and strategic decision-making

Ambee, a climate intelligence company that supplies hyperlocal environmental data in real-time, has launched Gspatial.ai, a new offering that provides historical air quality and weather data to businesses and governments across 70+ countries all over the world. The service includes street-by-street hourly air quality and weather data spanning the last 20+ years.

Ambee’s Gspatial.ai will benefit healthcare, pharma, insurance, logistics, retail, and even government bodies. Gspatial.ai helps mitigate the risks of climate change through deep and actionable insights on environmental factors, helping companies assess risks and make sound business decisions. Businesses can easily shop for historical air quality and weather data through Gspatial.ai’s website or a purpose-built API dashboard.

Commenting on the launch of Gspatial.ai, Madhusudan Anand, CTO and Co-Founder, of Ambee, said, “Our mission is to improve the health of millions of people but also the planet itself by developing products that can impact those affected by climate change.” He added that Gspatial.ai is a step in that direction, with easy access to reliable and accurate historical information on hyperlocal environmental factors. “This will help businesses understand how environmental events can have an impact on revenue. Industries such as oil & gas, energy, automobiles, insurance, healthcare, agriculture, and forestry are amongst the most vulnerable to climate risks. Businesses can use historical environmental data when looking at capital allocation, development of products or services, and supply-chain management. Through this product, we hope businesses can stay resilient to climate disasters, profitable and sustainable while helping their customers stay healthy,” explained Mr. Anand.

Then and Now

The Swiss Re Institute’s recent Climate Economics Index stress test reported that the global economy could lose up to 18% GDP from climate change by 2050. Further, the Environmental Research Letters journal at the University College of London, reports that by the year 2100, climate change will cost the world six times more than originally thought. The United in Science 2021 report says that the average global temperature was the highest on record for the last five years. Carbon dioxide levels are at their highest in 650,000 years. This past year has also recorded extreme weather and climate calamities, an effect of human-induced climate change.

It is clear that climate change is a huge risk to all businesses. Access to accurate and historical environmental data can help reduce loss and insulate against further risk through adaptability and climate resilience.

More on Gspatial Platform

One of the most important benefits of historical environmental data is risk assessment and insurance. Historical environmental data services like Gspatial.ai help in creating risk models that predict weather patterns; protect solvency by better investment decisions; aid resource optimization, and encourage policymakers to take action. For instance, environmental data oversees precipitation events (floods and mudslides); wildfire frequency and severity; temperature spikes; crop growth; soil erosion; and more. In the same vein, when it comes to logistics, for example, environmental intelligence will accurately identify a delivery window or adjust ETAs according to the weather; optimize inventory before inclement weather; and establish clear and cost-effective transportation, among other advantages.

Upcoming features in the Gspatial.ai platform:

• Hyperlocal emissions with CO2 in PPM and CO2e in Gigatons,
• Pollen, vegetation, satellite images, historical fires data,
• Historical severe weather events data,
• Bulk historical climate data,
• Environmental forecast data for more than 80 years and lots more.

For more details, visit https://www.gspatial.ai/

Ambee builds hyperlocal climate data and intelligence in real-time across the world. Using proprietary data science, Ambee provides location-specific, real-time data and actionable insights on air quality, weather, pollen, and various other environmental factors. Ambee’s data is consumed by businesses and administrators across the globe. Ambee was founded with an aim to democratize access to environmental data and tools that enable a better and healthier living experience.

Website: https://www.getambee.com/

Seasonal Floods in India Lead to $7.5 Bn Loss of Economy in 2020 - Aon Report

Image for Representation Only

"When Natural Disasters and a Pandemic Collide" global annual report explores "connected extremes"

CHICAGO, Jan. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions, today launches its global Weather, Climate & Catastrophe Insight: 2020 Annual Report. The report evaluates the impact of global natural disaster events to identify trends, manage volatility and enhance resilience.

The report reveals that the 416 natural catastrophe events of 2020 resulted in economic losses of USD268 billion – 8% above the average annual losses for this century – as costs continue to rise due to a changing climate, more people moving into hazard-prone areas and an increase in global wealth. Of this total, private sector and government-sponsored insurance programs covered USD97 billion, creating a protection gap of 64%, which is the portion of economic losses not covered by insurance. This highlights the importance of addressing the underserved by ensuring that there is increased access to affordable insurance products in the future.

"The global response to the socioeconomic volatility caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has increased focus on other systemic risks – particularly climate change – and is causing a fundamental reordering of business priorities. This report highlights the increasing likelihood of 'connected extremes' and reinforces that leading organizations of the future will be defined by their ability to manage the global implications of concurrent catastrophic events," said Greg Case, CEO of Aon. "In a highly volatile world, risk remains ever present, is more connected and, as a result, is also more severe – and 2020 has underscored this reality. It has also emphasized the need for enhanced collaboration between the public and private sectors, which will be essential to close the rising protection gap and build resilience against natural catastrophes."

During the year, more than 8,000 people lost their lives due to natural catastrophes. Tropical cyclone was the costliest peril, causing more than USD78 billion in direct economic damage. It was closely followed by flooding (USD76 billion) and severe convective storm (USD63 billion). From a climate perspective, NOAA cited 2020 as the world's second-warmest since 1880 for land and ocean temperatures at +0.98°C (+1.76°F) above the 20th-century average.

Steve Bowen, Director and Meteorologist for Aon's Impact Forecasting team, commented: "The world continues to evolve as it is faced with new challenges around natural perils. While many private and public sector entities primarily focus on physical and human hazard risks, an increasing number of global regulative bodies are further pivoting towards how to handle emerging transitional and subsequent reputational risks. This is especially true as the financial and humanitarian risks surrounding climate-enhanced events become more evident on a daily basis. Focus at the corporate and federal levels will be critical around investments in risk mitigation, resilience, and sustainability as the landscape around climate change solutions continues to accelerate with renewed urgency.

Significant regional events during 2020 included:

• Costliest year on record for global severe convective storms led by historic U.S. derecho
• U.S. mainland endured a record-breaking 12 named storm landfalls, including six hurricanes
• Super Typhoon Goni struck the Philippines as the strongest landfalling storm ever recorded globally at 195 mph 
• Ciara became Europe's costliest windstorm since Xynthia in 2010
• Drought conditions reduced agricultural crop yields in Brazil and Argentina, burning 30% of the Pantanal Region
• The most widespread Yangtze River Basin floods since 1998 caused USD35 billion of economic damage in China's monsoon season. 

Exhibit 1: Top 10 Global Economic Loss Events1,2
Date(s)	Event	Location	Deaths	Economic Loss (USD billion)	Insured Loss (USD billion)
June - September	Seasonal Floods	China	280	35.0	2.0
August 21 - 29	Hurricane Laura	U.S., Caribbean	68	18.2	10.0
May 15 - 21	Cyclone Amphan	South Asia	133	15.0	0.5
August 8 - 12	SCS (incl. Midwest Derecho)	United States	4	12.6	8.3
July 3 - 15	Kyushu Floods	Japan	82	8.5	2.0
November 2 - 13	Hurricane Eta	Caribbean, U.S.	309	8.3	0.7
June - September	Seasonal Floods	India	1,922	7.5	0.8
September 14 - 18	Hurricane Sally	United States	0	7.0	3.5
March 22	Zagreb Earthquake	Croatia	2	6.1	0.1
July 30 - August 5	Hurricane Isaias	U.S., Caribbean, Canada	18	5.0	2.7
All other events	145 billion	66 billion
TOTAL	268 billion	97 billion
1	Subject to change as loss estimates are further developed
2	Includes losses sustained by private insurers and government-sponsored programs

The full report and a short film are available on Aon's interactive microsite at https://aon.io/3nsM7cu. To access current and historical natural catastrophe data, as well as event analysis, please visit catastropheinsight.aon.com.

Tackling global warming? Apply for the Keeling Curve Prize by Feb. 10

$25,000 goes to each of 10 winning projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions or promote carbon uptake

ASPEN, Colo., Jan. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The deadline is fast approaching to apply for the 2021 Keeling Curve Prize, which will award $25,000 to each of 10 projects designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or increase carbon uptake. The prestigious competition is open until Feb. 10 to applicants from around the world. 

Previous winners have fixed carbon into stone in Iceland, produced biofuels in Kenya, and helped corporations around the world set and achieve emissions goals.

"Each year, the Keeling Curve Prize laureates inspire us with creative, practical approaches to reducing Earth's greenhouse gas burden and staving off the worst effects of global warming," said Jacquelyn Francis, executive director of the Keeling Curve Prize and the organization that administers it, the Global Warming Mitigation Project. "Our goal is to shine a spotlight on these solutions and accelerate their development."

The 2021 Keeling Curve Prize application period closes at midnight GMT on Feb. 10. Francis says the application, which can be found at https://www.globalwarmingmitigationproject.org/apply, is intentionally straightforward and can be completed in a matter of a few hours.

Prizes will be awarded to two projects in each of the following five categories: 

Capture & Utilization – Activating and accelerating natural or human-made systems for carbon capture, utilization and sequestration; 

Energy – Decarbonizing energy, supporting zero-carbon energy, or leading the way in the supply, distribution, access, infrastructure, or improvements of low- or zero-emissions energy systems;

 
Finance – Making the economics or financial mechanisms work for heat-trapping gas reduction or reversal ventures; 

Social & Cultural Pathways – Changing the way people consider, understand, and act on humanity's impacts affecting the livability of planet Earth; and 

Transport & Mobility – Reimagining and reinventing all types of vehicles, fuels, and mobility options for both people and products.

The growing Global Warming Mitigation Project recently expanded its leadership. Andrei Ruckenstein, Ph.D. — physics professor, vice president and associate provost for research at Boston University — has been named to the organization's board of directors. Marilyn Waite of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has been named to the Keeling Curve Prize's advisory council. And Valorie Aquino, former national co-chair and organizer of the world's first March for Science, has joined the staff as program and development director.

The Keeling Curve Prize is named after scientist Charles David Keeling's iconic graph showing a sharp increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere since the 1950s.

Keeling Curve Prize finalists and winners are chosen by a panel of esteemed judges including Achala Abeysinghe, Ph.D., of the International Institute for Environment and Development; Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel, Ph.D., of the Union of Concerned Scientists; Paul Holthus, World Ocean Council; Kara Hurst, Amazon; Edward Mungai, Kenya Climate Innovation Center; and Robin Newmark, National Renewable Energy Laboratory. 

Unilever, Microsoft, Brooks, Neste, and ITV Are Among 13 More Companies to Join The Climate Pledge

Thirty-one companies have now joined The Climate Pledge, a commitment co-founded by Amazon and Global Optimism to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement 10 years early

New signatories – Atos, Brooks, Canary Wharf Group, Coca-Cola European Partners, ERM, Groupe SEB France, Harbour Air, ITV, Microsoft, Neste, Rubicon, Unilever, and Vaude – are taking real, science-based, high-impact actions to tackle climate change, including deploying renewable energy, investing in sustainable buildings, and mobilizing supply chains

 

Today, Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Global Optimism announced that 13 new signatories—Atos, Brooks, Canary Wharf Group, Coca-Cola European Partners, ERM, Groupe SEB France, Harbour Air, ITV, Microsoft, Neste, Rubicon, Unilever, and Vaude—have joined The Climate Pledge, a commitment to be net-zero carbon by 2040, a decade ahead of the Paris Agreement’s goal of 2050.

Signatories to The Climate Pledge agree to: 

• Measure and report greenhouse gas emissions on a regular basis;
• Implement decarbonization strategies in line with the Paris Agreement through real business changes and innovations, including efficiency improvements, renewable energy, materials reductions, and other carbon emission elimination strategies;
• Neutralize any remaining emissions with additional, quantifiable, real, permanent, and socially-beneficial offsets to achieve net-zero annual carbon emissions by 2040.
   

“Last year, Amazon and Global Optimism co-founded The Climate Pledge to encourage companies to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement ten years early. Today, we have exciting news: 13 more companies, including Unilever and Microsoft, are joining this commitment to confront climate change together and save the planet for future generations,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. “There are now 31 companies from around the world that have signed The Climate Pledge, and collectively we are sending an important signal to the market that there is significant and rapidly growing demand for technologies that can help us build a zero-carbon economy.” 

Atos

As a leader in secure and decarbonized digital services, Atos has made it its mission to pave the way for a carbon-neutral and sustainable economy through technology innovations. Committed to reducing its environmental footprint and helping businesses succeed in their climate ambitions, Atos uses dedicated digital solutions and highly specialized skills to offer one of the most comprehensive approaches to decarbonization in the market. This year, Atos announced its commitment to net-zero carbon emissions by 2035 across scope 1, 2, and 3 carbon emissions, setting the highest decarbonization standards for its industry and accelerating its decade-long environmental program.

 

“As a trusted transformation and innovation partner, it is our responsibility to use our unique set of capabilities to tackle the climate change emergency and enable others to do the same, starting with our ecosystem,” said Elie Girard, Atos CEO. 

Brooks 

Brooks’ commitment to sustainability spans a decade, and the high-performance running brand recently adopted a roadmap to reduce scope 1, 2, and 3 carbon emissions in line with climate science, and to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. 

“We live, work, and run as part of a global community. The planet is our home. And because more than 150 million people worldwide run outside, it’s critical we take care of it,” said Jim Weber, Brooks CEO. “As we create new gear and run our global business, we seek to minimize our environmental impact, create positive social change, and be transparent about areas where we can do better. We are very proud to be the first athletic brand to join The Climate Pledge. These partnerships will be critical to achieving our ambitious goals." 

Canary Wharf Group 

Canary Wharf Group (CWG) is responsible for Europe’s biggest urban regeneration project in London, and it has delivered one of the largest environmentally certified portfolios in the UK, with over 10 million square feet of sustainably certified buildings to date. As part of its commitment to The Climate Pledge, CWG has launched its net-zero carbon pathway, setting out tangible steps to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions, as to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.

 

“Tackling climate change is an urgent challenge facing all of us, and the property industry has a critical role to play. Canary Wharf is run on 100% renewable electricity and has been since 2012 but there is more to do,” said Shobi Khan, Canary Wharf Group CEO. “We are committed to achieving net-zero carbon by 2030, and we will work with our tenants and suppliers over the next decade to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions, and support the global transition We are committed to reducing our carbon emissions to net zero by 2030, working hand-in-hand with our tenants and suppliers to make this a reality. Joining The Climate Pledge is recognition of this commitment." 

Coca-Cola European Partners 

Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) aspires to become net zero by 2040 across its entire value chain, and it will reduce its absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030, in alignment with a 1.5°C pathway and the Science-Based Targets Initiative. CCEP has already reduced its emissions across its value chain by 30.5% since 2010 by shifting to using 100% renewable electricity with the support of RE100; reducing the energy intensity of its cold drink equipment fleet by 60% since 2010; and reducing its use of virgin oil-based plastic by a third in its PET bottles. 

“We are committed to playing our part in global efforts to address the climate crisis by reducing absolute greenhouse gas emissions across our value chain,” said Damian Gammell, CCEP CEO. “We aim to do this by continuing to decarbonize our own business wherever possible and by encouraging our suppliers to set their own science-based targets and use 100% renewable electricity by 2023. It is a great pleasure to join The Climate Pledge and accelerate our ambition to become net zero by 2040.”

 

ERM

ERM works with companies around the world to help them identify and address critical climate risks and opportunities. ERM’s deep experience in climate science, policy, and economics, coupled with its digital expertise, provides its clients with the tools and insights required to navigate the complexities of the transition to a low-carbon future. ERM is also acutely aware of its responsibility to reduce its own footprint through better energy management, so it has switched to renewable power and is seeking credible approaches to offset emissions from travel. 

“Sustainability at ERM is a commitment to supporting socio-economic development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” said Keryn James, ERM CEO. “Climate-related risk is a business issue that has a direct impact on ERM’s financial health, our reputation, as well as our ability to attract and retain talent. As the leading global sustainability advisory firm, our purpose is to shape a sustainable future with the world’s leading organizations and we are proud to join The Climate Pledge and redouble our efforts to achieve carbon neutrality in our operations." 

Groupe SEB France 

Aware of its responsibility to create a more sustainable planet, Groupe SEB France is committed to reducing the environmental impacts stemming from its business activities. Since it established its first environmental commitments, Groupe SEB France has recorded a 21% decrease in the energy used at its industrial and logistics sites, exceeded its objective on recycling with 35% of recycled materials in its products and packaging, and exceeded its goal on the reduction of logistics-related carbon emissions, with a 33% reduction per unit sold. 

"Our key ambitions are to step up innovation to guide our business model towards a more circular economy, and we continue to fight against climate change,” said Richard Joaristi, Groupe SEB France General Manager. “We are excited to join The Climate Pledge as we continue our journey to net-zero carbon by 2040.” 

Harbour Air 

Named one of Canada’s best managed companies for 11 consecutive years, Harbour Air has been calculating and offsetting the airline’s carbon footprint for over a decade. In 2007, the regional airline became the world’s first and only carbon-neutral airline. Since then, Harbour Air has offset 100% of its emissions associated with seaplane fuel use and corporate operations. Last year, Harbour Air took its commitment to sustainability one step further and on December 10, 2019, the airline successfully converted and achieved the world’s first flight of a fully electric commercial aircraft. The ePlane is now being certified and approved by the FAA and Transport Canada—a critical next step in Harbour Air’s goals to become the first fully electric commercial airline. 

“Being a sustainable and responsible corporate citizen is not only embedded into our organizational values, but, I believe, is vital to our success in the community,” said Greg McDougall, Harbour Air founder and CEO. “As the world’s first and only carbon-neutral airline, we are proud of our industry leadership towards sustainability. We look forward to joining The Climate Pledge community and supporting other organizations and industry leaders such as Amazon, Global Optimism, and other signatories to reach net-zero carbon by 2040.” 

ITV 

ITV, the UK TV company, believes that TV has a critical role to play not only in reducing emissions, but also in shifting culture and creating the new normal. ITV has committed to becoming net zero in operations, productions, and business travel by 2030. The company’s strategy for achieving net-zero emissions is to reduce its impact so that it is as close to zero as possible, in line with the latest climate science. The company will also sequester the emissions it absolutely cannot reduce through third party-verified tree planting and blue-carbon offsetting projects. 

"Tackling climate change is one of the greatest challenges we will face in our lifetime. The effects of climate change are already here and the time to act is now,” said Carolyn McCall, ITV CEO. “The scale of change needed demands that all of us, businesses, governments and citizens work collaboratively and act boldly. Reaching over 50 million people every month, we believe that ITV has a critical role to play; not only in reducing our own emissions, but in shifting culture and creating the new normal. ITV is proud to be a signatory of The Climate Pledge." 

Microsoft 

In January, Microsoft committed to be carbon negative by 2030 and remove from the environment all the carbon it has emitted directly or by electrical consumption by 2050. The company has been carbon neutral since 2012 and is committed to promoting sustainable development and low-carbon business practices globally through its cloud-enabled technologies. To meet the company’s ambitious commitments and help partners and customers meet their own climate goals, collaboration is key and its one of the primary reasons Microsoft is signing on to The Climate Pledge.

 

“No one company or organization can meaningfully address the climate crisis on their own. It will take aggressive approaches, new innovative technologies and strong commitment to collaboration across industries and economic sectors,” said Lucas Joppa, Microsoft Chief Environmental Officer. “By joining The Climate Pledge community and working together, we will be able to collectively rise to the challenge and curb our emissions so that we can make progress toward a net zero future.” 

Neste 

Neste, a global leader in renewable and circular solutions, is the first major energy company to sign The Climate Pledge. 15 years ago, Neste decided to transform from an oil company to a renewable products company. Since then, Neste has been consistently recognized for its pioneering sustainability leadership. The company has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for 14 consecutive years and three years in the top three of the Global 100 list of the world’s most sustainable companies by Corporate Knights. Continuing on its journey, Neste has set two ambitious climate commitments: to reduce customers’ greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 million tons annually by 2030, and to reach carbon neutral production by 2035. These goals are driven by Neste’s purpose to create a healthier planet for our children. 

“The climate crisis is one of the biggest challenges of our times,” said Peter Vanacker, Neste President and CEO. “It will not be solved with one single solution, but calls for utilizing all available solutions and innovating new ones. This is team play. By joining The Climate Pledge we are reinforcing our commitment to sustainability and are excited to join a community that will share knowledge, ideas, and best practices. We look forward to working together on this important mission." 

Rubicon 

Rubicon is a software company that provides smart waste and recycling solutions for businesses and governments worldwide. Using technology to drive environmental innovation, they help businesses become more sustainable enterprises and neighborhoods into greener and smarter places to live and work. Through the design and implementation of circular solutions, which divert waste away from landfills, they help their partners cut greenhouse gas emissions and create a more sustainable world. Rubicon’s mission is to end waste by helping its partners find economic value in their waste streams and confidently execute on their sustainability goals.

 

“We believe that climate change is among the most urgent issues the world is facing, which makes our joining The Climate Pledge a defining moment for Rubicon. It is our declaration of alliance in the fight against climate change and a restatement of our company’s mission to end waste,” said David Rachelson, Rubicon Chief Sustainability Officer. “Every day, our team works tirelessly alongside our clients to reduce the accumulation of waste and to mitigate its harmful impact on the environment. Putting our name to this pledge reconfirms our dedication to creating a cleaner, healthier, and safer planet for all humankind. We are proud to stand alongside the other companies who have signed The Climate Pledge in this most pressing of global missions.” 

Unilever 

Unilever first set value chain greenhouse gas footprint targets from cradle to grave back in 2010, as part of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan. These include halving the greenhouse gas footprint of its products across the value chain and to have no greenhouse gas emissions from its own operations by 2030. The latter target was introduced in a new strategy launched in 2015 ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21) and included a shift to 100% renewable energy by 2030, with an interim milestone of 100% renewable grid electricity worldwide by 2020—which was achieved in January this year. In June this year, Unilever committed to net zero emissions from all its products, from sourcing to point of sale, by 2039. 

“We are delighted to be working with Amazon and Global Optimism on the Climate Pledge,” said Rebecca Marmot, Unilever Chief Sustainability Officer. “Tackling the climate crisis is of paramount importance. At Unilever we have set ourselves a target of net zero emissions from sourcing to point of sale by 2039 and are investing €1bn into a fund to tackle climate change through our brands. With the rest of the Climate Pledge community, we look forward to raising the bar for ambitious collective action on the most urgent challenge of our time." 

Vaude 

Vaude is committed to reducing its carbon emissions in line with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. Since 2012, the company’s headquarters has been certified as climate neutral. It has now set itself with an ambitious, science-based goal to produce all of its products worldwide with climate-neutral manufacturing. 

“In order to effectively tackle climate change, we must succeed in limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees in accordance with the Paris Agreement,” said Antje von Dewitz, Vaude CEO. “At Vaude we want to make our contribution and have set ourselves the goal of manufacturing all products with climate-neutral production. We are proud to join The Climate Pledge, so that we can accelerate our trajectory towards achieving net-zero carbon by 2040." 

“The Paris Agreement set out a unifying roadmap for all countries and all people to address the climate crisis by taking action,” said Christiana Figueres, the UN’s former climate change chief and Global Optimism founding partner. “By joining The Climate Pledge, signatories are not just making a statement of commitment to the future, they are setting a pathway to significant actions and investments that will create jobs, spur innovation, regenerate the natural environment, and help consumers to buy more sustainable products starting now.”

For more information on The Climate Pledge, visit www.theclimatepledge.com.
 

About Amazon 

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

About Global Optimism 

Global Optimism exists to precipitate transformational, sector-wide change. Achieving a zero emissions future is not a far-off challenge. It’s one we must get on track for now. Every scientific assessment shows that to meet the goal of net -zero emissions by 2050, to keep global heating below 1.5 degrees Celsius, we must halve our emissions between 2020 and 2030. Tackling the climate crisis is only possible when everyone, everywhere plays their part. We work with like-minded collectives from all sectors who are willing to invest in the choices required to be on this challenging – and life-affirming – journey. For more information, visit https://globaloptimism.com/.

 

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