Winds of change

As the ongoing COP26 debates climate change, a look at why we need to establish climate schools across the country

Approximately 1,20,000 people globally, and less than 5,000 people in India, are formally trained to adequately cater to the $23 trillion global climate industry opportunities expected until 2030. India and Bangladesh together are expected to attract $ 2.5 trillion worth opportunities related to climate-resilient infrastructure. In India alone, there is a potential to create three million renewable energy jobs by 2030.

India is both a major greenhouse gas emitter and one of the most vulnerable countries to projected climate change. The need for research and education in this field is critical. Further, the reasons and consequences of the changing climate in India and some other developing economies are different from those of the rest of the world. This is why specialised climate studies programmes are important to train people to find and implement technical solutions to adapt to and mitigate climate change in India and other parts of the world. Hiring people with these skills will be crucial for companies, government, the scientific community in India and the world.

Ironically, climate studies is abysmally low in India. In fact, while a few leading international universities now offer undergraduate degrees in Climate Sciences, not a single university in India offers this. Currently, IISc Bengaluru offers M.Tech. and Ph.D. programmes in Climate Sciences besides conducting research at its Divecha Center for Climate Change. TERI, in New Delhi, offers a Master’s degree in Climate Science and Policy. IIT Mumbai runs an interdisciplinary programme in Climate Studies only at the doctoral level. IIT Hyderabad offers a few courses and electives related to climate change.