Page 42 - Tata-Trusts-Annual-Report-2021-22

OVERVIEW In due course, it has become increasingly clear that it is
The wide-ranging environmental impacts created by
climate change are among the biggest global risks today.
1
Four of the top five global risks of 2018 were related to the
environment, compared with 2012, when only one of the
top five risks was environmental. India figures among the
countries that are most vulnerable to climate change,
2
given its high-risk exposure and limited ability to respond.
The government has been leading e orts to meet this
challenge by setting ambitious targets. Currently,
India is the only country among the top 10
polluters globally to rea rm its
commitments made under the Paris
Climate Agreement. But India’s climate
response has been beset by
challenges related to resources,
awareness, and expertise.
Given this scenario, Tata Trusts has
striven to align and support solutions that
help create a stable climate, enabling
sustainable development on all counts –
ecosystems, economies, and communities. It has
also committed resources to solutions, which
strengthen the resilience of vulnerable
communities and make them adaptable to the
impact of climate change. The team has evolved an
innovative and collaborative model of philanthropy to
build and scale up adaptive and resilient models, which
equip communities to face environmental challenges and
mitigate future impact.
The focus is on
• Facilitating collaboration for human and ecological welfare
• Building the capacity of communities to equitably
manage natural resources
• Funding research and thought leadership on tackling
systemic environmental challenges
1 Global Risks Landscape, World Economic Forum, 2018
2 HSBC Report, Fragile Planet, 2018
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• Building a cohort of domestic climate donors in India,
necessary to create societal platforms to address each both corporates and individuals: The network has seen
issue in a thoughtful and collaborative manner to achieve a six-fold growth, including the addition of 12 domestic
maximum impact. The Trusts acknowledge that solving and 6 international funders, who have pledged support
these problems would be more e ective if it could bring in to fund climate action through the ICC. In addition to
partners—whether from the government or the private directly funding 14 projects and research studies, the
sector—to maximise the reach of the impact. To meet this ICC has mobilised nearly `578 million (of which
objective, the Trusts have seeded the India Climate international funding constitutes `473 million) for
Collaborative (ICC), an India-led platform, bringing climate action across over 25 funding opportunities
philanthropies together to accelerate the country’s through introduction and facilitation.
development, while exceeding its climate goals. The ICC
envisions a thriving world where India shapes the • Building a cohesive network and platform for
global climate change movement. The Trusts’ collaboration: The ICC currently has a network of over 100
belief is that this platform will substantiate the ecosystem partners willing to join
necessity for India to contribute to the hands and work together. The ICC
global climate agenda and its impact on the has also built partnerships with
populations of developing nations. The various state governments,
Trusts also collaborate with a wide range of including Telangana, Andhra
NGOs, corporates, government agencies, Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh,
communities, and climate experts to Maharashtra, Karnataka, and
accelerate climate action. In the long run, Odisha, as well as the Ministry
partnerships and such collaborations will ensure a of Home A airs, by
strong foundation for achieving global progress. incorporating a Climate Risk Atlas
The Trusts’ goal is to advocate for policy, facilitate (CRA) tool. The CRA is a sector-wise
alignment in solutions among international and local vulnerability assessment tool for
institutions and individuals, in which each leverages Indian districts, which assesses risks,
their strengths to accelerate change, solve the climate informs disaster plans, and helps with
challenge, and ensure a sustainable future. designing institutional capacity building.
• Cementing India’s thought leadership at crucial
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS international platforms: The ICC has represented India
at global forums to develop a Global South-focused
• Incubating programmes in spaces characterised by
narrative helmed by Indian leadership to influence key
under-action or no action: The ICC has identified, decisions in the developing world. Keeping this in mind,
co-created, and launched programmes in critical
the ICC has led discussions and hosted round tables at
sectors, including air quality, land use, water, sustainable
several global climate-focused initiatives, including The
energy, sustainable agriculture, climate data, and risk
Sustainable Markets Initiative by His Royal Highness
assessment. These have been operational for the past 8
(HRH) Charles, Prince of Wales, the Giving Pledge,
to 16 months, with a projected cumulative impact on
UNFCCC Climate Dialogues, Project Drawdown’s Global
1 million lives over five years.
Collaborative, and the U.S. Consulate’s Opportunities for
U.S.-India Collaboration on Sustainability, among others.