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With its long coastline, dependence on the monsoon, and intensity – including a pledge to achieve “net-zero
low per capita income, a warming world poses several (carbon) by 2070” and decreasing the emissions intensity
challenges to India’s political, social, economic, and of GDP by 45% (as compared to 2005 levels) by 2030.
environmental security. In India, climate change has Additionally, adapting to the impact of climate change is a
compounding impact and amplifies existing critical challenge – the UN warns that the annual costs of
developmental issues. An estimated 638 million Indians adaptation in developing countries could be `21-37 trillion
are at risk due to climate change, by virtue of living in ($280-500 billion) by 2050.
geographies faced with increasing instances of extreme
weather events such as floods, droughts and cyclones. For Given the enormity of the climate challenge and the
vulnerable populations, these disasters immensely urgency to act, there is a significant need to accelerate
exacerbate existing problems of poverty, limited access to e orts and build an ecosystem that is on its way to
healthcare and education, and social inequities. achieving 2030 (and 2070) goals. Current levels of climate
action in India are insu cient, and solutions are not
The ongoing decade has been touted as being crucial with scaling at the speed required.
regards to climate action by India is estimated to need
several organisations. The USD 170 billion a year to
United Nations (UN) has achieve its climate targets;
christened it as the “Decade of however, current tracked
Action” and the Secretary finance is less than a fourth
General, Antonio Guterres, of the amount required just
called the latest report from the to meet mitigation goals under
Intergovernmental Panel on Nationally Determined
Climate Change (IPCC, 2021) Contributions (NDCs).
“A code red for humanity”. Adaptation finance flows
are even scarcer. Private,
India has an important role to philanthropic, and corporate
play in combating the climate (CSR) spending towards
crisis as the third-largest carbon- climate solutions in India is still very limited. There are
emitting country, as well as the seventh most susceptible several mitigation and adaptation solutions and
to climate change. However, India is also on a growth path technologies that exist today, which have the potential to
– several industrial and infrastructure investments are address the climate challenge, but are witnessing limited
being made today, which will set the course for the next 50 support, lack of evidence, lack of a business case, and
years. At this point, the country stands at crossroads, with unfavourable markets. Finally, there are structural
traditional technologies and growth paths threatening to bottlenecks that are limiting speed and scale for solutions
evolve into a carbon-intensive growth model for the next in critical sectors, primarily because organisations are
two decades or more. Therefore, it is important to relook working in silos and collaboration is limited.
and scale sustainable solutions today, that can enable a
low carbon economy for India. Recognising this, India has To address these ecosystem gaps, The India Climate
also made strong commitments to lower its emissions Collaborative (ICC) was set up by Tata Trusts, with an
overarching objective of mobilising the domestic
philanthropic ecosystem towards finding catalytic climate

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