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An analysis of 52 Indian CDM projects registered by May 2006 reveals a systemic preference for barrier analysis over investment analysis, with significant gaps in transparency and evidence. The study finds that while 94% of projects use barrier tests, only 33% conduct investment analyses, and only 50% identify alternatives. Detailed case studies of JSW Steel and Bajaj Auto illustrate that the CDM Executive Board's additionality assessments are inconsistent, often depending on how information is 'packaged' by developers. The author concludes that validators frequently fail to critically evaluate barrier claims, potentially allowing non-additional projects to increase net global emissions.

The report examines the proliferation of subsidies in India across agriculture, energy, and industrial sectors, highlighting a significant gap between official budgetary estimates and actual costs. It argues that while subsidies are intended for welfare and food security, they often result in regressive distribution, environmental degradation, and financial instability for state entities. The document specifically analyzes the impact of irrigation, power, and fertilizer subsidies on the environment and equity, and reviews India's export incentive schemes and their compatibility with WTO rules, including specific disputes in the iron and steel sector.

The document analyzes the use of registries and databases to document traditional knowledge associated with biodiversity. It evaluates how existing intellectual property (IP) frameworks—including copyright, patents, trade secrets, and the European Union's sui generis database rights—interact with these registries. The authors highlight a fundamental tradeoff: public registries promote preservation and can prevent third-party patenting by establishing 'prior art,' but they also increase the risk of misappropriation due to the limited legal protection for traditional knowledge. Case studies from India (People's Biodiversity Registers and SRISTI's Honey Bee) and Canada (Inuit of Nunavik and Dene) illustrate different approaches to documentation and access control. The paper concludes that current international law is inadequate for protecting traditional knowledge and suggests a combination of national legislation, professional codes of practice, and international multistakeholder institutions to ensure equitable benefit-sharing.

The document details the India-UK Energy for Growth Partnership, focusing on four main areas of cooperation: capacity building for legislators, off-grid renewable ventures, the development of the offshore wind market, and the scaling of solar initiatives. It highlights the UK's role in providing technical advisory, financial modeling, and policy frameworks to help India reach its target of 175GW of renewable energy by 2022. Key efforts include the creation of the 'Renewable Energy Local Area Development toolkit' for legislators and the formulation of the National Offshore Wind Energy Policy in 2016.

The document describes the methodology for the Indian States’ Electricity Transition analysis, which evaluates 16 states representing approximately 90% of India's annual power requirement. The analysis uses 17 parameters across four dimensions: Decarbonisation, Performance of the Power System, Readiness of the Power Ecosystem, and Policies and Political Commitments. Data for financial year 2021-22 was primarily sourced from government entities such as the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and NITI Aayog, then normalised and weighted by sectoral experts to produce state-wise scores.

The report evaluates 16 Indian states on their electricity transition across four dimensions: decarbonisation, power system performance, ecosystem readiness, and policy commitments. Karnataka is identified as the top performer across all dimensions, while states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal are urged to ramp up efforts. The analysis highlights that many renewable-rich states have significant untapped potential and recommends improving data transparency, strengthening transmission infrastructure, and expanding green market mechanisms to accelerate the transition.

The report posits that climate change is an artifact of resource inefficiency and that mitigating it can be done at a profit. It highlights that energy efficiency, switching to low-carbon fuels, and improving forestry and farming practices can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while lowering costs for businesses and governments. The text argues against the necessity of nuclear power, citing its high cost and market failure, and instead promotes wind, solar, and combined-cycle gas turbines. It suggests that market-oriented policies, such as those established by the Kyoto Protocol and the Montreal Treaty, can incentivize carbon reductions through trading mechanisms. The document concludes that the transition to a low-carbon economy can be managed without net job losses, provided there is transitional support for displaced workers in the fossil fuel sector.

The document examines the impact of KERC order S/03/01, which provided a ten-year exemption from wheeling charges, banking charges, and cross subsidy surcharges for solar generators achieving commercial operation before 31 March 2018. While the order is welcomed by market participants and improved viability for commercial consumers, the paper finds that tangible on-ground impacts in terms of commissioned capacity and wheeled energy will likely only be evident from the fourth quarter of Financial Year 2016 onwards due to delays in understanding the order and challenges with land and power evacuation.

The paper examines three state-level solar irrigation schemes in India to identify lessons for Tamil Nadu's implementation of PM KUSUM Component C. It highlights challenges in farmer financing, trust in solar technology, and the impact of feed-in tariffs on water conservation, while recommending robust monitoring and adequate tariff assessments.

The research examines renewable energy (RE) procurement among 101 corporate and 185 SME consumers across five Indian states. It finds a dominant preference for on-site solutions, with large corporations favoring open access off-site projects due to higher capital and energy needs. Green Tariffs (GTs) face low awareness—up to 82% of corporate consumers and 94% of SMEs are unaware of them—and poor acceptability, as 62% of corporate and 55% of SME consumers are unwilling to pay a premium for GTs. The paper recommends that state energy departments restructure GT models with lower premiums and fiscal incentives, while utilities should act as information disseminators to prevent C&I consumers from migrating from the grid.

The document outlines a roadmap for expanding trees outside forests (ToF) in India, highlighting the potential for 80 million hectares of such trees to sequester 3.4 Gt CO2e by 2040. By analyzing policy incentives in Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, and Telangana, the paper identifies barriers and enabling conditions for agroforestry and other ToF approaches. It recommends landscape-level restoration strategies, the protection of traditional ToF systems, targeted support for women and marginalized groups, and an improved enabling environment to motivate practitioners.

The study of ten apartment complexes in Bengaluru found that rooftop solar could meet the entire annual electricity demand for common services in 80% of the sites. Water pumping assets represent the largest electricity load, accounting for 45% of the total connected common area load across the studied complexes. Despite this potential, adoption is hindered by low incentives due to subsidized domestic tariffs in Karnataka, a lack of maintained energy data, and a priority on other budgetary items like waste management over energy efficiency.

The document examines the adoption of rooftop solar PV by 'prosumers' in Bengaluru, managed by the utility BESCOM. While a net-metering program introduced in November 2014 has achieved over 5.6 MW of grid-connected capacity as of March 2016, the paper argues that adoption must accelerate to meet Karnataka's 400 MW state target for 2018. It identifies six primary barriers to scaling, including poor understanding of costs and payback, confusion over net-metering specifications, and limited institutional capacity of the program administrator.

The CollabSolar project in Bengaluru attempted to reduce transaction costs and attract developers by aggregating the rooftop solar demand of six corporate entities. Key findings indicate that aggregation is most effective within small geographic areas and requires a collective minimum demand of 8-10 million kWh/year to mitigate the risk of individual buyer withdrawal. The project highlighted critical barriers, including corporate charter restrictions for MNCs wishing to invest capital, the need for tripartite agreements with landlords for leased spaces, and the absence of net-metering schemes in Bengaluru at the time, which forced systems to be sized to minimum weekend loads.

A study of over 2,000 households in Bangalore, India, found that behaviorally informed energy reports (HERs) featuring social norm comparisons and savings recommendations led to a 7 percent decrease in average monthly energy consumption over 12 months. While the lack of a control group prevents a robust causal connection, the results contrast with a nearly 3 percent increase in per capita energy usage across the state of Karnataka during the same period. Scaling this intervention to the entire city of Bangalore could potentially save households nearly US$60 million annually and avoid emissions from 604 million kilowatts of electricity generation.

The document examines the potential for Indian electricity distribution companies (discoms) to implement green tariffs to attract and retain commercial and industrial (C&I) consumers. It notes that current attempts in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have been ad hoc and unsuccessful, contrasting this with the success of tailor-made, consultative green tariff models in the United States. The author argues that for green tariffs to succeed in India, they must involve long-term contracts, regulatory certainty, and a design that accounts for the Indian context of cross-subsidization of residential and agricultural consumers.

The Green Power Market Development Group (GPMDG) India, a partnership between the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), works to increase renewable energy adoption in India's commercial and industrial sectors. By addressing policy and market barriers, the group facilitates procurement, shares best practices, and aggregates demand for technologies like solar PV. As of July 31, 2015, GPMDG supported 250 MW of renewable energy, including 110 MW facilitated by its Bangalore chapter in Karnataka during its first year of operations.

A 2015 Government of Karnataka order granting in-principle approval for the establishment of a 2000 MW solar park in Pavagada Taluk, Tumkur District, to be developed by the Karnataka Solar Power Development Corporation Ltd. (KSPDCL).