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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/renewable-energy/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 14:17:51 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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					<title>Proposed solar project in India&#8217;s largest grassland sparks conservation concerns</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/proposed-solar-project-in-indias-largest-grassland-sparks-conservation-concerns/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/proposed-solar-project-in-indias-largest-grassland-sparks-conservation-concerns/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Jul 2026 16:27:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ronak Gajjar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ramsar site]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ramsar sites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Solar Energy]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/08102058/009-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
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											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Community based conservation, Conservation, Grasslands, Indigenous Peoples, Lakes, Renewable Energy, Thar Desert, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Banni grasslands of Kachchh represent one of the most unique, complex, and fragile ecological mosaics in the Indian subcontinent. For centuries, this vast expanse in the western state of Gujarat has been shaped by the harmonious coexistence of diverse wildlife and the Maldharis, a traditional pastoralist community. The region gained greater conservation recognition earlier [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Banni grasslands of Kachchh represent one of the most unique, complex, and fragile ecological mosaics in the Indian subcontinent. For centuries, this vast expanse in the western state of Gujarat has been shaped by the harmonious coexistence of diverse wildlife and the Maldharis, a traditional pastoralist community. The region gained greater conservation recognition earlier this year when its Chhari Dhandh wetland was designated as a Ramsar site in January, making it Kachchh&#8217;s first and Gujarat&#8217;s fifth Ramsar site, highlighting the wetland&#8217;s critical biodiversity. However, a proposed solar power plant near the wetland has sparked concerns over its ecological impact and triggered opposition from local communities. The solar power plant, proposed by the NTPC Renewable Energy Limited, will be spread over 4,500-acres as per the claim in the notice published by the Fulay Juth (group) gram panchayat in the newspaper on May 12. Documents accessed by Mongabay-India reveal that the timeline for securing the required No Objection Certificates (NOCs) was initiated in 2024. According to local conservationists and a forest official, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity as they have been instructed to not speak to the media, the project has now begun active groundwork, with site surveys, fencing installation, and the management of Prosopis juliflora underway. However, conservationists, ecologists, wildlife photographers, and local pastoralists fear that the project will cause irreversible damage to the ecology of Chhari Dhandh wetland. A herder with camels in the lush grasslands bordering the Chhari Dhandh wetland in Kachchh, Gujarat, which received&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/proposed-solar-project-in-indias-largest-grassland-sparks-conservation-concerns/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Bonn talks signal a new energy transition narrative, even as old divides persist</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/bonn-talks-signal-a-new-energy-transition-narrative-even-as-old-divides-persist/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/bonn-talks-signal-a-new-energy-transition-narrative-even-as-old-divides-persist/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Jun 2026 12:30:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Climate Finance]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/19113743/Raichur-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38743</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy and Climate Finance]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy, Energy, Green Energy, and Renewable Energy]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The annual two-week Bonn climate conference ended on June 18, exposing familiar fault lines over climate finance, trade and ambition while also highlighting a new push to accelerate the energy transition through electrification. The mid-year meeting is an annual affair under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) where parties negotiate the technical [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The annual two-week Bonn climate conference ended on June 18, exposing familiar fault lines over climate finance, trade and ambition while also highlighting a new push to accelerate the energy transition through electrification. The mid-year meeting is an annual affair under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) where parties negotiate the technical and scientific aspects of climate negotiations. It helps shape the agenda of the upcoming Conference of Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC. At the beginning of the conference, the host of the next climate summit proposed increasing the global electrification target to 35% by 2035, up from the current target of just over 20%. COP31 President-Designate Murat Kurum called it a flagship initiative of the COP31 Presidency&#8217;s Action Agenda, &#8220;calling for a major acceleration in the shift from direct fossil fuel use to clean electricity across buildings, transport and industry.&#8221; The proposal comes alongside the COP30 Presidency&#8217;s work on a roadmap for transitioning away from fossil fuels (TAFF) in energy systems. On June 12, the COP30 Presidency presented progress on the roadmap, which is expected to be shared ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye. Together, the electrification initiative and the TAFF roadmap suggest an emerging effort to frame energy transition discussions around deployment of clean energy systems rather than explicit fossil fuel reduction targets. The proposal has particular significance for India. According to a recent International Energy Agency (IEA) report, the country&#8217;s electrification rate stands at around 19%, slightly below the global average of 21%. At&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/bonn-talks-signal-a-new-energy-transition-narrative-even-as-old-divides-persist/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>The chinkara&#8217;s future may be less secure than its conservation status suggests</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/the-chinkaras-future-may-be-less-secure-than-its-conservation-status-suggests/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/the-chinkaras-future-may-be-less-secure-than-its-conservation-status-suggests/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Jun 2026 14:37:22 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manjeera Gowravaram]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dryland conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[herbivores]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Solar Energy]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/18125106/10840549853_e252fdecb6_o-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38716</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Ecology, Grasslands, Mammals, Renewable Energy, Thar Desert, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Indian gazelle, also known as chinkara, found across the subcontinent&#8217;s drylands, carries a quiet sense of security. Protected under Schedule I of India&#8217;s Wildlife Protection Act and listed under the least concern category by the IUCN, it is not an obvious candidate for a conservation crisis. However, a new study published in the Journal [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Indian gazelle, also known as chinkara, found across the subcontinent&#8217;s drylands, carries a quiet sense of security. Protected under Schedule I of India&#8217;s Wildlife Protection Act and listed under the least concern category by the IUCN, it is not an obvious candidate for a conservation crisis. However, a new study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management by researchers from the Zoological Survey of India, challenges that assumption. The study projects that under the worst-case emissions pathway, RCP 8.5, where temperatures rise by 4°C or more by 2100, the chinkara could lose nearly 89% of its suitable habitat by 2070. When climate alone is isolated as a driver, projected habitat loss climbs to almost 96.5%. Under RCP 2.6, which aligns with the Paris Agreement&#8217;s 2°C target, habitat losses were lower, but still severe. &#8220;A loss of 89-96% of habitat within roughly 50 years represents a biodiversity emergency for this species in India,&#8221; said lead author of the study Amar Paul Singh. The study is among the first to examine these risks at a national scale for a dryland ungulate. Mapping a shrinking future The researchers compiled more than 200 verified chinkara records from field surveys, published literature and biodiversity databases spanning between 2000 and 2022. They layered those records against climate, land-cover, topographic and human-disturbance data, then ran them through an ensemble of seven different species-distribution models to reduce the bias any single model might introduce into the final projection. Under current conditions, the models identified a little over&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/the-chinkaras-future-may-be-less-secure-than-its-conservation-status-suggests/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Efficiency mandates can build India’s clean tech sovereignty [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/efficiency-mandates-can-build-indias-clean-tech-sovereignty-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/efficiency-mandates-can-build-indias-clean-tech-sovereignty-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>15 Jun 2026 16:17:46 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ajay Mathur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Clean tech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[innovation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/15092043/AP23313788200798-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38647</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Carbon emissions, Clean Energy, Climate Change, Commentary, Energy, Fossil Fuels, Green Business, Green Energy, Industry, Renewable Energy, and Technology]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[For decades, India’s approach to advanced technologies has followed a predictable, high-stakes pattern. Each time a global technology goes through a generational shift, a mad scramble ensues to import the latest machinery, components, or manufacturing lines. We saw it in the early phases of thermal power automation, witnessed it during the electronics boom, and today [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[For decades, India’s approach to advanced technologies has followed a predictable, high-stakes pattern. Each time a global technology goes through a generational shift, a mad scramble ensues to import the latest machinery, components, or manufacturing lines. We saw it in the early phases of thermal power automation, witnessed it during the electronics boom, and today we are seeing it play out acutely in the clean energy transition. While importing technology serves as a necessary jumpstart, relying on it as a permanent strategy creates a fragile foundation. In an era defined by geopolitical volatility, trade barriers, and fractured supply chains, the strategy of continuous imports is no longer just economically draining, but also a risk to national energy security. To build a truly resilient, low-carbon future, India must pivot from being a passive consumer of global technology to an active creator of indigenous innovations. The key to unlocking this shift does not lie in blunt import bans or open-ended subsidies alone. Instead, it lies in a regulatory mechanism that India has already proven. Anchoring long-term procurement frameworks to progressively tightening, non-negotiable efficiency standards can work. By announcing these escalations well in advance, India can compel industry players to move away from quick-fix imports, invest heavily in domestic research, development, and demonstration (RD&amp;D), and forge deep, lasting linkages with local academia. The fragility of the import trap India’s climate targets are among the most ambitious in the world, requiring the deployment of hundreds of gigawatts of renewable energy over the next few&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/efficiency-mandates-can-build-indias-clean-tech-sovereignty-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>While the world hesitates, India must continue leading on climate [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/while-the-world-hesitates-india-must-continue-leading-on-climate-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/while-the-world-hesitates-india-must-continue-leading-on-climate-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 May 2026 12:21:11 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Minal PathakVaibhav Chaturvedi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate resilience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[resilience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainable development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urbanisation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/12102052/AP26110297264780-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38125</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Carbon emissions, Cities and Towns, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change Mitigation, Climate Science, Energy, Human Rights, Renewable Energy, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India is already brushing up against record electricity demand weeks before the peak of summer, with consumption nearing a record 256 gigawatts in April as an intense heatwave sweeps across large parts of the country. Temperatures in central and southern regions are climbing well into the mid-40s, pushing cooling demand and straining power systems earlier [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India is already brushing up against record electricity demand weeks before the peak of summer, with consumption nearing a record 256 gigawatts in April as an intense heatwave sweeps across large parts of the country. Temperatures in central and southern regions are climbing well into the mid-40s, pushing cooling demand and straining power systems earlier than usual. These accelerating extremes coincide with India&#8217;s unveiling of its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for 2035 at a moment of geopolitical uncertainty. The opening months of 2026 have also underscored how fractured the global climate consensus has become. Some countries are wavering on climate commitments, even as 2025 closed with a grim roll-call of climate records, disasters, and missed targets worldwide. With global tensions disrupting energy markets and exposing the fragility of fuel supply chains, one message is clear: climate ambition today is inseparable from energy security. India’s climate choices are now about securing growth, stability, and strategic autonomy, and they carry unusual weight going forward. India must now move decisively from targets to systems that protect its growth and credibility in the Global South. There are some steps that India can take on this pathway. Embedding science and development at the core First, public policy must be guided by the best available evidence. Across the world, scientists are increasingly questioned even as environmental decisions are taken as short-term fixes. Such choices, whether on air quality, energy, or climate policy, affect not just present welfare but future generations. The question is simple: what&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/while-the-world-hesitates-india-must-continue-leading-on-climate-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>States hold the key to India&#8217;s energy transition [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/states-hold-the-key-to-indias-energy-transition-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/states-hold-the-key-to-indias-energy-transition-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 May 2026 16:11:22 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ruchita ShahTanya Rana]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[energy transition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[just transitions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Solar Energy]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/06143607/AP22273517200350-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38046</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Alternative energy, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Energy, Environmental Economics, Fossil Fuels, Green Energy, and Renewable Energy]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Amid the disruptions caused by the conflict in West Asia and the accompanying risk that climate action will be pushed down the global agenda, India has reaffirmed its commitment to climate goals by updating its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). In March 2026, the Union Cabinet approved NDC 3.0 for submission to the United Nations Framework [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Amid the disruptions caused by the conflict in West Asia and the accompanying risk that climate action will be pushed down the global agenda, India has reaffirmed its commitment to climate goals by updating its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). In March 2026, the Union Cabinet approved NDC 3.0 for submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for the 2031–2035 period. The NDC 3.0 targets include a 47% reduction in the emissions intensity of India’s gross domestic product (GDP), an expansion of its carbon sink to 3.5-4.0 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent from 2005 levels, and achieving 60% non-fossil fuel-based installed power capacity by 2035. These align with the country’s long-term net-zero goal for 2070 and its vision of self-reliance under Viksit Bharat 2047, with domestically available renewable energy at the core. Achieving these goals will require every Indian state to play a role, as most power procurement decisions are made at the state level. From national targets to state action India achieved the milestone of 50% non-fossil fuel-based installed capacity in October 2025, five years ahead of schedule. This progress was driven largely by Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, which together account for more than 60% of the total non-fossil fuel installed capacity as of February 2026. However, as India moves towards the more ambitious target of 60% non-fossil capacity, this concentration could become a bottleneck. Hence, expanding renewable energy capacity beyond early leader states will be necessary. At the sub-national level, though, states&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/states-hold-the-key-to-indias-energy-transition-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Wind power’s ecological costs on bats</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/wind-powers-ecological-costs-on-bats/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/wind-powers-ecological-costs-on-bats/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>20 Apr 2026 16:56:17 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Aisiri Amin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bats]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/22095536/Scotophilus-heathii_Dehradun_RohitChakravarty2016-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37759</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Alternative energy, Energy, Grasslands, Mammals, Renewable Energy, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As India’s renewable energy market diversifies, wind farms have emerged as an underexplored threat to bats. Globally, millions of bats die every year when they collide into wind turbines as they fly. Currently, bat species across the world face significant threats such as habitat loss from deforestation and agriculture, persecution, hunting, urbanisation, energy production, and climate [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As India’s renewable energy market diversifies, wind farms have emerged as an underexplored threat to bats. Globally, millions of bats die every year when they collide into wind turbines as they fly. Currently, bat species across the world face significant threats such as habitat loss from deforestation and agriculture, persecution, hunting, urbanisation, energy production, and climate change, according to a 2025 Fact Sheet by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species and Wild Animals (CMS). Yet conversations about biodiversity threats rarely acknowledge that climate solutions, such as renewable energy infrastructure, can themselves pose risks to biodiversity. The latest State of Indian Bats report also brings attention to wind turbines as one of the threats affecting bat species. However, there are data gaps in three major areas, bat researcher Rohit Chakravarty says. “One, what species are the most affected. Two, to what extent the mortality is and three, whether there are any seasonal patterns in the mortality across species,” he explains. With about 135 bat species, India is home to roughly 10% of the global bat diversity. Of these, around sixteen are found only in India. According to Bat Conservation International, of the 122 species from India assessed by the IUCN, “only 23% have stable populations, with the rest decreasing.” The carcass of a Scotophilus heathii bat found at a wind farm. While bat carcasses in grasslands can be spotted by researchers during the dry season with relative ease, grass growth during the wet season makes finding them more challenging. Images&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/wind-powers-ecological-costs-on-bats/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Solar energy supports healthcare in outage-prone hilly districts</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/solar-energy-supports-healthcare-in-outage-prone-hilly-districts/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/solar-energy-supports-healthcare-in-outage-prone-hilly-districts/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>31 Mar 2026 16:22:34 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jyoti ThakurPratik Chakarborty]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[electricity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hospitals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Solar Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solar panel]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/31131513/signal-2026-03-31-130858_002-e1774947811953-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37531</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Meghalaya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy, Energy, Extreme Weather Events, Green Energy, Health impacts, Human Rights, and Renewable Energy]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[When Evelyne Nongkseh’s newborn daughter developed jaundice in August 2023, her family of six was in panic. Nongkseh, then 30, had delivered her third child just two weeks earlier. She rushed to Gnanamma Healthcare Centre in her village Jaidoh in the West Khasi Hills, in India’s northeastern state of Meghalaya, hoping to get immediate treatment. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[When Evelyne Nongkseh’s newborn daughter developed jaundice in August 2023, her family of six was in panic. Nongkseh, then 30, had delivered her third child just two weeks earlier. She rushed to Gnanamma Healthcare Centre in her village Jaidoh in the West Khasi Hills, in India’s northeastern state of Meghalaya, hoping to get immediate treatment. But when she arrived, there was no electricity at the centre and phototherapy unit that treats neonatal jaundice by breaking down excess bilirubin in an infant’s blood, was also not functioning. “I was worried sick,” Nongkseh recalls. “There was no electricity, and it was raining heavily. I had to go back home that evening.” The next morning, the health centre’s administrator, Sahay Lily, suggested keeping the infant in the morning sunlight until a vehicle could be arranged to take them to a hospital in the nearest town, Nongstoin. The town, despite being located only 10 kilometres away took nearly two hours to reach because the heavy rains had damaged the roads. At Nongstoin&#8217;s hospital, Nongkseh’s daughter received the necessary treatment and recovered. “The electricity problem is common in our village. Not just me, many parents have faced similar problems,” Nongkseh says. Her experience was once an everyday occurrence for healthcare workers, with frequent power cuts disrupting healthcare services in the region. Doctors in the West Khasi Hills of Meghalaya spoke of challenges faced in previous years to deliver safe healthcare services, owing to frequent power outages. Facilities across the state struggled until solar energy emerged&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/solar-energy-supports-healthcare-in-outage-prone-hilly-districts/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>India&#8217;s updated climate plan targets 47% emissions cut and 60% clean power capacity by 2035</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/indias-updated-climate-plan-targets-47-emissions-cut-and-60-clean-power-capacity-by-2035/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/indias-updated-climate-plan-targets-47-emissions-cut-and-60-clean-power-capacity-by-2035/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>26 Mar 2026 13:14:03 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manish Chandra Mishra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[carbon sink]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Climate Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate resilience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate targets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[emissions intensity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[energy transition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[net zero 2070]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[non-fossil fuel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paris Agreement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UNFCCC]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/26101531/AP23082468378694-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37476</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy and Climate Finance]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Environment, Environmental Economics, Environmental Politics, Fossil Fuels, Impacts of Climate Change, and Renewable Energy]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India has announced its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for the period 2031-2035, setting revised climate targets to reduce emissions intensity, increase non-fossil fuel-based electricity and increase forest and tree cover. NDCs are voluntary national climate action plans by countries under the Paris Agreement. India&#8217;s updated targets include reducing the emissions intensity of GDP by [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India has announced its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for the period 2031-2035, setting revised climate targets to reduce emissions intensity, increase non-fossil fuel-based electricity and increase forest and tree cover. NDCs are voluntary national climate action plans by countries under the Paris Agreement. India&#8217;s updated targets include reducing the emissions intensity of GDP by 47% from 2005 levels by 2035, increasing the share of non-fossil fuel-based installed electricity capacity to 60%, and creating a carbon sink of 3.5 to 4.0 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent through forest and tree cover by 2035. India’s original climate commitments, submitted in 2015 under its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), set targets for 2030 to reduce the emissions intensity of GDP by 33-35% (emissions per unit of GDP) and achieve a 40% share of non-fossil fuel-based power capacity. In 2022, India updated its NDCs, raising the ambition to a 45% reduction in emissions intensity from 2005 levels and a 50% share of non-fossil energy capacity. The union cabinet approved the targets on March 25 and are to be communicated to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Railways and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a media briefing that the targets were approved in line with the five-year cycle under the Paris Agreement. “The current goals are for 2025 to 2030. Now the targets up to 2035 have been approved through this Cabinet decision,” he said. The decision is aligned with India’s long-term goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, according&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/indias-updated-climate-plan-targets-47-emissions-cut-and-60-clean-power-capacity-by-2035/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>A 700 km-long foot march to save sacred groves from solar projects</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/villagers-set-on-a-700-km-long-foot-march-to-save-sacred-groves-from-solar-projects-in-rajasthan/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/villagers-set-on-a-700-km-long-foot-march-to-save-sacred-groves-from-solar-projects-in-rajasthan/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Mar 2026 11:41:10 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manu Moudgil]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cattle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livestock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Orans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pasture land]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[protest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sacred groves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Solar Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solar panel]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/19092221/1.-A-flock-of-sheep-at-Raghwa-village-in-Jaisalmer-district-where-a-2700-MW-solar-park-has-been-earmarked.Image-by-Manu-Moudgil-scaled-e1773892629160-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37346</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Rajasthan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy, Energy, Environment, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Renewable Energy, Tribes, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[It was February 27. A herd of around 20 cows drank from the Biprasar pond, while a flock of sheep grazed nearby. Around 13 camels straddled in. “Every day, thousands of animals, birds, and humans come to quench their thirst here. And this water is two years old because there was not much rain last [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[It was February 27. A herd of around 20 cows drank from the Biprasar pond, while a flock of sheep grazed nearby. Around 13 camels straddled in. “Every day, thousands of animals, birds, and humans come to quench their thirst here. And this water is two years old because there was not much rain last year. Even when the seasonal rainfall is low, the vast aagor (catchment) helps us collect it here,” said Lal Singh, spreading his arm to indicate the extent of the land before growing sombre. “There is a proposal to set up a 400 MW solar energy park in the catchment. Where will all these animals go? How will we survive without water?” Growing up in Ramgarh village of Jaisalmer district, Singh has imbibed the language of the desert ecosystem where people thrive on an average annual rainfall of around 100 mm spread over just eight days. This region has some of the lowest intensity of rainfall. For comparison, the average annual rainfall in India is around 1200 mm. People here use traditional wisdom to harvest this little water from ponds, shallow and deep wells, and khadeens, and to rear animals on desert grasses and shrubs in orans (sacred groves) and gochars (pastures). But a growing number of large solar power and mining projects in the region are now taking over these traditional community lands, threatening the traditional way of life and sparking conflicts that have grown into a broader movement in the last five years. Camels&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/villagers-set-on-a-700-km-long-foot-march-to-save-sacred-groves-from-solar-projects-in-rajasthan/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>India’s new waste management rules face old implementation gaps</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/indias-new-waste-management-rules-face-old-implementation-gaps-in-the-capital/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/indias-new-waste-management-rules-face-old-implementation-gaps-in-the-capital/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Mar 2026 14:45:24 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jyotsnika Tiwari]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Simrinsirur]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[industrial waste]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solid waste]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toxic Waste Materials]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waste-to-energy]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/06124304/AP20210450913024-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37176</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Delhi]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Air Pollution, Biofuels, Carbon emissions, Energy, Environment, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Pollution, Renewable Energy, and Waste management]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India&#8217;s environment ministry notified the new solid waste management (SWM) rules of 2026 on January 27, superseding the 2016 rules. The new rules signal a shift towards a more systematic compliance architecture, with a clearer outline of duties for waste generators, a revised definition of Bulk Waste Generators, and higher landfill user fees for mixed [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India&#8217;s environment ministry notified the new solid waste management (SWM) rules of 2026 on January 27, superseding the 2016 rules. The new rules signal a shift towards a more systematic compliance architecture, with a clearer outline of duties for waste generators, a revised definition of Bulk Waste Generators, and higher landfill user fees for mixed waste to encourage segregation. Well-intentioned as the new rules are, experts caution against gaps in implementation that have dogged solid waste management in India for decades. Illustrating this are the towering landfills in New Delhi — Bhalaswa, Ghazipur and Okhla — symbols of the city’s historical failure to segregate waste at source. Delhi leads all Indian cities, generating approximately 600 grams of waste per person per day. Nearly 64% of the collected waste is processed, according to the Central Pollution Control Bureau (CPCB), while the remaining 36% or. 4,241 tonnes, find its way to unsanitary landfills, or dumpsites everyday. These landfills and dumpsites are silent contributors to air pollution through the year as well as to greenhouse gas emissions and heat stress during the summers. Biomass and waste burning are the second largest contributors to particulate matter emissions in Delhi, contributing 23% to PM10 and 24% to PM2.5, according to one source apportionment study. When biodegradable waste accumulates and is left to rot, it produces methane, which has a warming potential 80 times greater than that of carbon dioxide, over a 20-year-period, and is the second-largest contributor to global warming. According to another study, higher&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/indias-new-waste-management-rules-face-old-implementation-gaps-in-the-capital/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Budget signals a shift in India’s climate and energy priorities</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/budget-signals-a-shift-in-indias-climate-and-energy-priorities/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/budget-signals-a-shift-in-indias-climate-and-energy-priorities/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Feb 2026 14:06:13 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adaptation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Annual budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Climate Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Critical Minerals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[electricity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Energy security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[energy storage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Municipal Bond]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rural economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Supply chain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Urban area]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/03113134/AP25247548851789-scaled-e1770098800708-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36715</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy and Climate Finance]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Air Pollution, Clean Energy, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change Mitigation, Coal, Energy, Environmental Politics, Green Energy, Hydroelectric power, Industry, Politics, and Renewable Energy]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In her ninth consecutive Union budget speech on February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not mention “climate” even once. She mentioned “environment” but in the context of infrastructure projects such as high-speed rail and dedicated freight corridors. This reflects the overall thrust of the budget, which focused more on infrastructure expansion, reducing import dependence, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In her ninth consecutive Union budget speech on February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not mention “climate” even once. She mentioned “environment” but in the context of infrastructure projects such as high-speed rail and dedicated freight corridors. This reflects the overall thrust of the budget, which focused more on infrastructure expansion, reducing import dependence, and strengthening domestic manufacturing, while remaining muted on environmental concerns. Experts say external factors, including climate finance constraints, economic conditions, and geopolitical tensions, may be influencing this tone that the budget has taken. A similar tone was also seen in the Economic Survey tabled on January 29, which analyses the state of the economy and sets the context for the budget which then announces the government&#8217;s actual spending and policy proposals. The Survey noted that capacity constraints and a widening gap between ambition and operational reality have marked the global climate agenda. It highlighted climate finance as a key challenge and said India should approach the transition as part of a broader energy system strategy linked to growth and security. Rohit Azad, Assistant Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, said external constraints, such as climate finance, cannot justify inaction. “Climate change is going to affect India far more than the Global North, given our tropical climate and high levels of poverty. Livelihoods will be impacted, and disasters will become harder to manage. It is in our own interest to act,” he said. Azad also pointed to global political shifts. “There is&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/budget-signals-a-shift-in-indias-climate-and-energy-priorities/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Rooftop solar consumers face uncertainty in Maharashtra</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/rooftop-solar-consumers-face-uncertainty-in-maharashtra/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/rooftop-solar-consumers-face-uncertainty-in-maharashtra/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Dec 2025 17:08:13 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Abhijeet Gurjar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[decentralised energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[decentralised solar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[renewable policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rooftop solar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Solar Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solar panel]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/12/04124131/RE_3-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
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											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Alternative energy, Carbon emissions, Clean Energy, Energy, Green Energy, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Renewable Energy]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Maharashtra’s solar energy plans are facing a policy clash. The central government’s PM Surya Ghar Yojana aims to expand rooftop solar by offering households up to 300 units of free electricity each month, while the state government is considering a night-time tariff hike to manage its power distribution costs. Many consumers who turned to solar [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Maharashtra’s solar energy plans are facing a policy clash. The central government’s PM Surya Ghar Yojana aims to expand rooftop solar by offering households up to 300 units of free electricity each month, while the state government is considering a night-time tariff hike to manage its power distribution costs. Many consumers who turned to solar power to cut their electricity bills now worry that new rules will make clean energy less affordable. “We currently only pay ₹130 a month, but we have no idea how much they may charge us in the near future,” says Chandrakant Shelke, a 49-year-old farmer from Shelkewadi. “With new laws, who can predict how the government will tax us and modify the tariff?” Shelkewadi is a 100% solar-powered village in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district. It is a model village, self-sufficient in solar energy, progressive, and known for its clean energy status. However, the villagers are now worried with the Maharashtra State Electricity Board’s (MSEB) proposed changes in time-of-day (ToD) tariffs. They worry that these charges could undo their years of efforts in clean energy. This uncertainty is not just confined to one village. Across Maharashtra, many consumers with rooftop solar, small-scale resellers and commercial users are confused about the state government’s shifting strategy and new charges. Industrial and commercial rooftop solar (RTS) consumers are struggling with no offset benefit, prolonged payback periods and heavy upfront investment for renewable energy. A building in Shelkewadi, Kohlapur district, Maharashtra, with rooftop solar. The 106 homes in the hamlet, panchayat office,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/rooftop-solar-consumers-face-uncertainty-in-maharashtra/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>India, China step into leadership vacuum at climate meet as the West retreats</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/india-china-step-into-leadership-vacuum-at-climate-meet-as-the-west-retreats/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/india-china-step-into-leadership-vacuum-at-climate-meet-as-the-west-retreats/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Nov 2025 11:30:08 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Soumya Sarkar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[China]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[COP30]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[India climate policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paris Agreement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Unilateral trade measures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wind Energy]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/11/21103532/54929826572_f74d585e98_k-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
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											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change Mitigation, Coal, Energy, Fossil Fuels, Renewable Energy, and United Nations]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The room had barely settled when an Indian negotiator joked that the tense climate-finance session felt like “mandatory therapy.” A Chinese delegate quickly added, “Not just therapy. We need yoga and a massage.” According to a delegate present at the meeting, the light-hearted exchange drew laughter and softened the mood. It also revealed something deeper. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The room had barely settled when an Indian negotiator joked that the tense climate-finance session felt like “mandatory therapy.” A Chinese delegate quickly added, “Not just therapy. We need yoga and a massage.” According to a delegate present at the meeting, the light-hearted exchange drew laughter and softened the mood. It also revealed something deeper. India and China often coordinate at climate summits, but their easy camaraderie at the climate talks in Brazil (COP30) carries new weight because the world’s traditional climate leaders are no longer steering the process. With the United States again pulling back from the Paris Agreement under the second Donald Trump administration, and the European Union distracted by the economic and political pressures of the war in Ukraine, the leadership vacuum has made India and China’s familiar alignment unusually influential in Belém this year. What was once a routine partnership has become a central force in holding together a summit that feels unanchored. Old partnership in a new world Inside the negotiating rooms, India and China have been echoing each other’s positions with a smoothness that even veteran observers did not expect. For years, both countries have pushed for the same broad demands that hinged on more reliable financial support from wealthy nations, fewer trade barriers that hurt developing economies, and fairer expectations for poorer countries trying to cut emissions. None of that is new. What is new is the context. With Washington now outside the UN climate process and Brussels struggling to maintain diplomatic momentum,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/india-china-step-into-leadership-vacuum-at-climate-meet-as-the-west-retreats/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>India falls in climate performance rankings</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/india-slips-to-23rd-place-in-the-global-climate-performance-index/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/india-slips-to-23rd-place-in-the-global-climate-performance-index/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>20 Nov 2025 14:45:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manish Chandra Mishra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coal based power plant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[COP30]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Just Transition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[power]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/11/20122041/9370432860_d7d343b739_k-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
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											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Climate Change Mitigation, Energy, Environment, Fossil Fuels, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Renewable Energy, and United Nations]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India has slipped from the 10th to 23rd place in the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2026, shifting from the group of high performers to the medium performing countries category. The index, which compares climate performance of countries, was released by Germanwatch, the NewClimate Institute and the Climate Action Network on the sidelines of the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India has slipped from the 10th to 23rd place in the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2026, shifting from the group of high performers to the medium performing countries category. The index, which compares climate performance of countries, was released by Germanwatch, the NewClimate Institute and the Climate Action Network on the sidelines of the ongoing UN climate conference (COP30) in Belém. India has remained among the top 10 countries in the CCPI for six years since 2019. The index assesses the climate performance of 63 countries and the EU across four categories: greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), renewable energy, energy use and climate policy. In the latest edition, India received a medium rating in GHG emissions, climate policy and energy use, and a low rating in renewable energy. CCPI lists several policy actions taken by India on the climate front. It notes that India is signalling long-term intent through a formal climate strategy, ambitious renewable energy targets and established efficiency programmes, including appliance labelling under the Bureau of Energy Efficiency and the Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) mechanism. The report also highlights recent policy developments, such as the green finance taxonomy and the national carbon market framework. It notes that renewable energy deployment continues to expand through auctions and fiscal tools, supported by falling tariffs and strong participation. India also reported achieving 50% of its installed power capacity from non-fossil sources in 2025, well ahead of its 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target. A farmer at work, against the backdrop&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/india-slips-to-23rd-place-in-the-global-climate-performance-index/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Solar-powered cold storage empowers smallholder farmers</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/solar-powered-cold-storage-empowers-smallholder-farmers/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/solar-powered-cold-storage-empowers-smallholder-farmers/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Nov 2025 13:29:46 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kavitha Yarlagadda]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cold storage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Decentralised renewable energy (DRE)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[decentralised solar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farm waste]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmer producer organisations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food loss]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/11/14121914/AP24094531116916-scaled-e1763104541964-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35570</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andhra Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy and Renewable Energy]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“When we used to take our vegetables to the market, we often had to sell whatever was left at throwaway prices to avoid spoilage,” says Routhu Bharathi, a farmer from Badangi village in Vizianagaram district, Andhra Pradesh. “But with the solar cold storage facility starting in 2021, we now have the confidence and assurance that [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[“When we used to take our vegetables to the market, we often had to sell whatever was left at throwaway prices to avoid spoilage,” says Routhu Bharathi, a farmer from Badangi village in Vizianagaram district, Andhra Pradesh. “But with the solar cold storage facility starting in 2021, we now have the confidence and assurance that we don’t have to discard or undersell our produce.” Sambi Reddy, a 53-year-old farmer from Kollipara village in Guntur district, shares a similar experience. At dawn, he stacks bundles of pulses and chillis into a humming solar-powered cold storage unit. Just eight years ago, he would have had to race against the tropical heat. India has had a cold storage scheme since 2008. However, these farmers&#8217; experiences suggest that they received little help due to a lack of affordable and reliable infrastructure. This meant Reddy often lost nearly a third of his crop to spoilage. Now, he stores his produce and also buys from a group of organic farmers who are part of a Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO). He stores their crops and sells them later as by-products. The 10-tonne cold storage unit cost ₹12.5 lakhs (₹1.2 million), of which ₹9.37 lakhs (₹0.9 million) was subsidised by the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and paid directly to EcoFrost, the manufacturer and implementing company. The Shreshta Farmers Producer Organisation (the FPO, of which Sambi Reddy is a part) covered the remaining amount. “This is very convenient and useful&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/solar-powered-cold-storage-empowers-smallholder-farmers/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>China challenges India’s domestic manufacturing incentives, alleging unfair trade practices</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/china-challenges-indias-domestic-manufacturing-incentives-alleging-unfair-trade-practices/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/china-challenges-indias-domestic-manufacturing-incentives-alleging-unfair-trade-practices/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Oct 2025 17:15:11 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[battery technologies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Clean Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Clean tech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[COVID-19]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[electric vehicle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[energy storage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Free Trade Agreement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PLI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Production linked incentives]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trade]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Unilateral trade measures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WTO]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/10/29140939/AP25216315934082-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
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											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy, Energy, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Politics, Politics, and Renewable Energy]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[China has approached the World Trade Organization (WTO), alleging that India’s renewable energy incentives under the ‘Make in India’ initiative discriminate against foreign goods, particularly those of Chinese origin. According to a WTO communication circulated to members on October 20, China has requested consultations with India over these measures that it alleges are affecting trade. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[China has approached the World Trade Organization (WTO), alleging that India’s renewable energy incentives under the ‘Make in India’ initiative discriminate against foreign goods, particularly those of Chinese origin. According to a WTO communication circulated to members on October 20, China has requested consultations with India over these measures that it alleges are affecting trade. Consultations allow parties to discuss the matter and seek a resolution. If the issue remains unresolved after 60 days, the complainant may request the establishment of a dispute panel. China’s complaint lists three programmes under the ‘Make in India’ initiative — the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes for the National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage, and the automobile and auto components industry, as well as the scheme to promote manufacturing of electric passenger cars in India (EV Passenger Cars Scheme). The three schemes are designed to promote domestic manufacturing of key components in the renewable energy and automotive sectors. The PLI scheme, launched in 2020, aims to strengthen India’s manufacturing capabilities by offering financial incentives to eligible companies based on their incremental sales. Initially covering three sectors, it has since expanded to 14, including electronics, clean technology, steel, textiles, and automobiles. So far, it has attracted investments worth ₹1.76 trillion across these sectors, according to a statement by the government earlier this year. The total sales by PLI beneficiaries have crossed ₹16.5 trillion as of mid-2025. Shantanu Singh, a Public International Law lawyer, says the PLI scheme, at the centre of the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/china-challenges-indias-domestic-manufacturing-incentives-alleging-unfair-trade-practices/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Arunachal Pradesh plans big push for hydropower</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/arunachal-pradesh-plans-big-push-for-hydropower/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/arunachal-pradesh-plans-big-push-for-hydropower/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Oct 2025 16:09:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Divya Kilikar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Northeast India]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/10/10151700/Subansiri_Lower_Dam_Geruka_mukh_Lakhimpur_Assam-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
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											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Arunachal Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Energy, Green Energy, Himalayas, Hydroelectric power, Renewable Energy, Rivers, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A 2,200 megawatt hydropower project was cleared to come up in the Upper Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh, signalling the state government’s intent to rapidly expand hydropower generation within its borders. The Oju Hydroelectric Power Project (HEP) is the latest of several large dams proposed to boost the state government’s hydropower profile. The Oju HEP [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A 2,200 megawatt hydropower project was cleared to come up in the Upper Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh, signalling the state government’s intent to rapidly expand hydropower generation within its borders. The Oju Hydroelectric Power Project (HEP) is the latest of several large dams proposed to boost the state government’s hydropower profile. The Oju HEP was cleared by the centrally-appointed Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on September 12, on the condition that the Navayuga Engineering group — the project developer — integrate simulations of glacial lake outburst flood scenarios into its design. “The Committee advised that a real-time monitoring and early warning system (EWS) shall be established in coordination with State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) and local administration, along with community awareness and mock drills for preparedness,” the EAC said, in light of growing glacial lakes in the region. The Oju HEP is the second major dam to secure clearance in the Subansiri river basin. The Subansiri Lower Dam, a 2000 MW run-of-the-river project (harnessing the natural flow of a river) further downstream, was awarded clearance in 2003, but faced widespread opposition from local communities and activists about the negative impacts from 2010 to 2019. “When the Subansiri Lower Dam was being cleared, one of the conditions was that there would be no further construction upstream.” said Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People. “This was appealed and now projects such as Oju have been allowed on a case-to-case basis.” The environmental impact assessment for the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/arunachal-pradesh-plans-big-push-for-hydropower/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Floating solar projects test India’s just transition promise</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/floating-solar-projects-test-indias-just-transition-promise/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/floating-solar-projects-test-indias-just-transition-promise/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Oct 2025 15:10:03 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Snigdhendu Bhattacharya]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Canal top solar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Clean Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[floating solar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[floating solar plant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Just Transition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Renewable Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solar]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/10/09093842/WhatsApp-Image-2025-10-07-at-17.44.36_8e981ca5-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
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											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy and Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Jharkhand and West Bengal]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Alternative energy, Energy, Green Energy, and Renewable Energy]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On September 7, a few hundred fishers, mostly tribal people, participated in a bike rally to protest a proposed floating solar power project on the Panchet dam. It is a 66-year-old multipurpose project located across the river Damodar, along the border of the eastern states of West Bengal and Jharkhand. The rally started from Maheshnadi [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On September 7, a few hundred fishers, mostly tribal people, participated in a bike rally to protest a proposed floating solar power project on the Panchet dam. It is a 66-year-old multipurpose project located across the river Damodar, along the border of the eastern states of West Bengal and Jharkhand. The rally started from Maheshnadi checkpost in Neturia block of Purulia district, West Bengal, and travelled a five-km stretch to Panchet Zero Point in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district. The fishers staged a demonstration, shouting slogans like “DVC Murdabaad” (down with DVC), “DVC hosiayar” (beware), and “solar project bandh karo” (scrap the solar project). DVC refers to the Damodar Valley Corporation, a public sector utility that owns and operates the Panchet dam, where floating solar power projects of 105 MW capacity have already been awarded for development. A similar or higher capacity is awaiting the tender process. Fishers who have been relying on the dam&#8217;s waters for their livelihoods allege that nearly 1,500 families would not only lose their livelihoods but also their primary source of affordable nutrition, solely due to the first phase of the project. They have called for a public gathering at Panchet on October 15, calling for the scrapping of the project. “About 1,500 families of three panchayats in Nituria block—Sarabari, Raibandh, and Guniara—earn their living by fishing from the reservoir. The solar power project will make fishing impossible,” said Rajen Tudu, convenor of the southern West Bengal chapter of Prakriti Bachao O Adibasi Bachao Mancha (platform to&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/floating-solar-projects-test-indias-just-transition-promise/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>A beloved ‘tree of life’ is vanishing from an already scarce desert</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/a-beloved-tree-of-life-is-vanishing-from-an-already-scarce-desert/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/a-beloved-tree-of-life-is-vanishing-from-an-already-scarce-desert/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Sep 2025 15:05:53 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Vishal Kumar Jain]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[irrigation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[khejri]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[native plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Solar Energy]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/09/11103236/DSC09401-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
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											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Rajasthan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Clean Energy, Climate Change, Energy, Mining, Renewable Energy, Thar Desert, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The onion crop on 60-year-old Tiloka Ram Godara&#8217;s 80-bigha field ripens in May. There are four-five khejri (Prosopis cineraria) trees growing in the field located near Osian tehsil in Rajasthan&#8217;s Jodhpur district. Since the pods (wet or green sangri) on them have grown thick, they have been left for the cattle. When asked the reason [&#8230;]]]>
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							<![CDATA[The onion crop on 60-year-old Tiloka Ram Godara&#8217;s 80-bigha field ripens in May. There are four-five khejri (Prosopis cineraria) trees growing in the field located near Osian tehsil in Rajasthan&#8217;s Jodhpur district. Since the pods (wet or green sangri) on them have grown thick, they have been left for the cattle. When asked the reason for not plucking these bean pods, he said, “When we were young, there were 20-25 khejri trees in our field. At that time, farming was done only during the four months of the monsoon. Everyone was interested in sangri. There were no other avenues and this was the biggest source of income. Now, thanks to abundant water, farming is done twice. An increase in income has led to decreasing interest in sangri.” Khejri, the native tree of Rajasthan, is considered the lifeline of Western Rajasthan. The tree, which thrives in the hot and dry climate, was once abundant across the Thar desert. Khejri trees produce bean-like sangri pods in March-April. Both fresh and dried pods are consumed. There was a time when there were no vegetables in the summer season, so only sangri was eaten. The social, economic and cultural importance of the khejri earns it the title of Kalpavriksha (tree of life) in the desert. However, in the last few years, the rapid expansion of solar plants, mechanised farming and other developments, along with intensifying impacts of climate change, have sidelined the khejri. Tiloka Ram Godara shows a khejri tree growing on his field.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/a-beloved-tree-of-life-is-vanishing-from-an-already-scarce-desert/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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