Climate Change
Climate Change. These are two words that you are probably hearing often these days. What is all the talk about? Is it something that the meteorologists should worry about? How does it concern you and me? That’s exactly what we will find out together.

What is Climate?
There is a saying "climate is what you expect; weather is what you get". We often confuse weather and climate. Weather is what is reported on the TV every night—minimum and maximum of different places, cloud cover, wind conditions, rainfall, humidity, etc. Weather describes what is happening outdoors in a given place at a given time.

The word climate describes the total of all weather occurring in a place over a period of years.
Climatologists generally consider 30 years as the time needed to find out the climate of a place.

It includes average weather conditions. Climate tells us what it’s usually like in the place where you live. For example Ahmedabad and Delhi have generally dry climate, but Mumbai and Visakhapatnam have humid climate; the climate in Bangalore and Pune is said to be pleasant, while Kochi has largely rainy climate.
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Global Warming
Global warming represents a profound and emerging threat to biodiversity around the world. As temperatures rise, habitats for many plants and animals will change, depriving them of the homes and niches to which they have adapted. For example, monarch butterflies could lose their wintering habitats in the mountains of Mexico, and polar bears could be affected by the loss of sea life. Many species will not be able to migrate fast enough to keep up with shifting habitat ranges. As a result, many species will become extinct, and ecosystems around the world will become frayed. Scientist have estimated that up to 60% of northern latitude habitats could be affected by global warming. Habitats throughout the United States, from the spruce and fir forests of Maine to the mangrove swamps of coastal Florida could be dramatically altered

Many observers have pointed to a growing body of evidence that global warming is not only real and a result of human activities, but that it is already having an impact on species and habitats. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council

• Sub-alpine forest has invaded higher elevation alpine meadows in Olympic National Park.
• Mangrove forests are dying off in the Caribbean.
• Ranges for marine life are shifting northward along the Pacific coast.
• Over the past 25 years, some penguin populations have shrunk by 33 percent in parts of Antarctica

Climate change
A changing global climate threatens species and ecosystems. The distribution of species (biogeography) is largely determined by climate, as is the distribution of ecosystems and plant vegetation zones (biomes). Climate change may simply shift these distributions but, for a number of reasons, plants and animals may not be able to adjust. The pace of climate change almost certainly will be more rapid than most plants are able to migrate.

The presence of roads, cities, and other barriers associated with human presence may provide no opportunity for distributional shifts. Parks and nature reserves are fixed locations. The climate that characterizes present-day Yellowstone Park will shift several hundred miles northward. The park itself is a fixed location. For these reasons, some species and ecosystems are likely to be eliminated by climate change. Mountaintop species are especially vulnerable. The plants and animals found on high mountains of the American West include many remnants of a Pleistocene fauna that long ago was displaced toward the arctic, or upslope. With further warming, many of these mountaintop species likely will be eliminated.

A changing climate will have many other effects. The southern extent of the Everglades, today the site of the most ambitious and expensive restoration project ever undertaken, may be underwater, along with significant areas of human habitation. Agricultural production likely will show regional variation in gains and losses, depending upon crops and climate. Some coral reefs will expand, and others will contract or die off. Ecological changes due to an altered climate are difficult to forecast, but expected to be serious.

As a consequence of these multiple forces, many scientists fear that by end of next century, perhaps 25 percent of existing species will be lost.

Climate Change : NGO Interventions

TERI : Assisting developing country climate negotiators through analysis and dialogue (Source)
Sponsor(s): Department for International Development
Start Date: March 2005
The objective is to reinforce and strengthen the capacity of key developing countries ? Brazil, China, India, and Mexico ? to prepare for and participate in negotiations on future actions under the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and the Kyoto Protocol. The first step in preparing these countries for negotiations is to work with key partner institutions and government officials in each country to undertake micro- and macro-economic analyses of the GHG mitigation options and proposals for future action. Building on the CCAP's (Center for Clean Air Policy) and its partner institutions' extensive experience in conducting such analyses and building capacity in other locales, this project will enhance long-term in-country capacity and the ability of these nations to react to policy proposals, and development of proposals of their own.

TERI : Selection and evaluation of CDM projects under the Japanese Carbon Fund (Source)
Sponsor(s) : Japan Carbon Finance Limited
Completion date : May 2006
Objective of the programme JFC (Japan Carbon Finance) Limited worked with TERI to identify CDM (clean development mechanism) projects in the South Asian region, including India, for consideration under JGRF (Japan GHG Reduction Fund). Established on 1 December 2004, as a joint venture between 31 private Japanese companies and two governmental financial institutions---JBIC (Japan Bank for International Cooperation) and DBJ (Development Bank of Japan), JGRF is being operated by JCF Limited. JCF plans to purchase superior quality emission reductions from selected CDM projects for its investors.

TERI : Climate change and energy: Indo-UK partnership (Source)
Sponsor(s) : British High Commission
Completion date : August 2006
Being a signatory to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), the Government of India takes all practicable measures to fulfill its obligations under the convention. In order to do so, the government looks at various possible mechanisms supporting their actions in addressing climate change such as participation in the CDM (clean development mechanism), encouraging transfer of technologies from industrialized countries, and promotion of research and development of environmentally sound technologies.

TERI : Vulnerability and adaptation to climate variability and water stress in Uttaranchal, India (Source)
Sponsor(s) : Advanced Institute on Vulnerability to Global Environmental Change
Completion date : February 2006
This research project used a participatory approach to investigate vulnerability and adaptive capacity to climate variability and water stress in the Lakhwar watershed, part of the Upper Yamuna sub-basin in Uttaranchal, India. Highly water-stressed micro watersheds were identified by modelling surface run-off, soil moisture development, lateral run-off, and groundwater recharge, using the SWAT and MODFLOW models in a GIS (geographic information system) framework.

TERI : Joint Indo-UK programme on impacts of climate change in India (Source)
Sponsor(s) : Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR)
Completion date : November 2004
Climate change is characterized by long time horizons, spanning hundreds of years. The impacts of climate change will be felt in a world that is different from the one that exists today. It is essential to know how the economy and society will change over the coming century, and how this will alter the impacts of and adaptation to climate change. Consequently, the process of climate change impact assessment must incorporate the changes wrought by the driving forces of population growth, economic development, and technological changes.

TERI : Clean development mechanism project design document development (Source)
Sponsor(s) : Deutsche Gesellschaft Fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH
Completion date : August 2004
The objective of the study was to develop a PDD (project design document) under the CDM (clean development mechanism) for implementation of 300 MW (megawatts) grid connected wind power plan by Suzlon Energy Limited in Tamil Nadu. The project was funded by GTZ through CDM India.

TERI : Vulnerability and adaptation in Indian Agriculture within the context of economic changes (Source)
Sponsor(s) : Canadian International Development Agency
Completion date : March 2004
Climate change and globalization are two main processes of global change, and it is assumed that both have major impacts on Indian agriculture. Yet, their combined impacts are rarely studied in conjunction. In a research project, which included expertise from TERI, the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research ? Oslo, and IISD, the double exposure of Indian agriculture to these two processes is analysed through a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. The project was funded by the Government of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency and by the Government of Norway through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

TERI : HOT (Helping Operationalize article Two): a science-based policy dialogue on fair and effective ways to avoid dangerous interference with the climate (Source)
Sponsor(s) : Dutch Ministry of the Environment (VROM)
Completion date : July 2003
The UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) is the foundation for international efforts to address climate change. Its ultimate objective, as given in Article 2, is the stabilization of increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. Defining an acceptable or unacceptable concentration of greenhouse gases, however, involves value judgements and requires informed dialogue among scientists, policy-makers, and stakeholders from different parts of the world. This was the goal behind HOT (Helping Operationalize article Two) of the UNFCCC, a science-based policy dialogue initiated by IVM (Institute for Environmental Studies, The Netherlands) with support from the Dutch Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning, and the Environment.

TERI : Ethics of climate change: economic, political and legal aspects (Source)
Sponsor(s): Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Helsinki
Start Date: October 2007
The main objectives of this project are as follows.
(1) To act as a catalyst in bringing to the forefront the ethical, moral, economic and political underpinnings of the international problem of climate change.
(2) To gauge the extent to which decision-making within the climate change framework is guided by the framing of the problem itself in terms of its interdisciplinary dimensions.

TERI : Capacity building in Asian countries on climate change issues related to future regime (Source)
Sponsor(s): Asia Pacific Network for Global Change Research
Start Date: August 2007
The first commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol will take place in the period of 2008-12. A number of activities to achieve the ultimate objective of the UNFCCC have been introduced and undertaken under the Kyoto Protocol since February 2005; however, further stringent actions are needed beyond 2012. This proposal seeks support in increasing the capacity of research institutes in Asian countries to build the capacity of related stakeholders in climate negotiation. The outcome of this initiative is an active participation of Asian countries' negotiators, especially those of developing countries, in negotiating the future climate regime.

TERI : Impact of climate change on diarrhoeal diseases in India: phase I study (Source)
Sponsor(s): World Health Organization
Start Date: August 2007
The study involves both quantitative and qualitative approaches. In the quantitative analysis, a time-series ecological study will be done; the pilot study sites will serve as the unit of population. Regression analysis will be utilized for the years 1955-2005 to identify probable trends specific to the region. Through qualitative analysis, the study will on the vulnerability, adaptation, and adaptive capacity of the region. This is based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change framework, which states that vulnerability is a function of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity.

TERI : New risks of climate change - building capacity to protect the most vulnerable
Sponsor(s): Asia Pacific Network for Global Change Research
Start Date: June 2007
The rural poor in developing countries can be made less vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change through judicious natural resource management policies and access to risk transfer mechanisms. However, this requires capacity-building of policy-makers and practitioners not directly dealing with climate change issues.
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TERI : National strategy on climate change in India (Source)
Sponsor(s): Ministry of Environment and Forests
Start Date: May 2007
The project intends to design a 'National strategy on climate change' and integrate it into the planning process of the country. The project seeks to address government policies and programmes that have strong mitigation and adaptation benefits, and suggests a pathway for future.

TERI : Climate-resilient development and adaptation: India (Source)
Sponsor(s): United Nations Development Programme
Start Date: May 2007
This endeavour proposes to develop a GEF/UNDP (Global Environment Facility/United Nations Development Programme) project, fostering the launch of an integrated programme of pilot implementation, documentation, and capacity activities designed to support adaptation to climate change. The approach will develop strategies for responding to both gradual change and extreme climatic events anticipated as a result of climate change.

TERI : Research on key issues in climate change negotiations (Source)
Sponsor(s): Ministry of Environment and Forests
Start Date: April 2004
The main objective are: (1) Review Asnnex-I country national communications for accuracy, scope, and quality of reporting. (2) Identify issues related to convergence in the IPCC Third Assessment Report. (3) Explore possibilities for India's participation in global GHG mitigation efforts. (4) Create a dialogue within the Indian climate change research community through a workshop/brainstoring session. (5) Provide technical support to the Ministry of Environment and Forests of the Government of India in preparation for CoP 10.

TERI : GOF Climate Change and Energy Programme: ISS (Information Sharing System) to enhance coping capacities of farming communities in dealing with climate variability and climate change
Sponsor(s): British High Commission; Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; United Nations Environment Programme
Start Date: August 2005
The overall goal of the project is to enhance the adaptive capacity of farming communities to cope with climate variability and long-term climate change. The main objective of the project is to demonstrate the usefulness of ISS in assisting agricultural farmers cope with climate variability and long-term climate change.
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TERI : The role of emission trading in climate policy (Source)
Sponsor(s): MISTRA
Start Date: January 2005
The objective of this project is to support design and implementation of emission trading within the evolving climate regime of Sweden, the European Community, and the larger global community. The focus would be on issues related to globalizing emission trading, including linkages and barriers between the different emission trading schemes and markets, opportunities and risks for developing countries, equity issues/north-south conflicts, and aspects on expanding the market in 2008 and 2013.

TERI : Exploring opportunities for technology transfer to developing countries for mitigation of climate change (Source)
Sponsor(s): British High Commission
Start Date: July 2005
The study would identify various possible ways of successful transfer of technology from Annex-I to non-Annex countries. Specific objectives are: (1) Explore alternatives to CDM of the Kyoto Protocol for enabling technology transfer to the DCs (developing countries) for mitigation of climate change under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. (2) Identifiy mechanisms of clean technology transfer to the DCs thereby reducing global GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions and combating climate change.

Climate Change : Corporate Interventions

Cummins : Environmental Technologies in hot arid zones
CDIF entered into a partnership with one of the premier management institutes of India. I.e. Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedbad for the purpose of establishing controlled temperature technologies in extremely hot climatic conditions like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab & Haryana. These technologies have been adopted in US and other hot areas of rest of the world.

This is for the first time in India that some concerted effort in this direction is made. In the Rann of Kutch (Guj) the day temperature is extremely high and in the night it drops to the minimum possible. Resultantly, there is no growth of agriculture. Moreover, the land is full salt due to proximity to Sea. This resulted in migration of people to other cities in search of employment, food, water, etc. The project works on the technology of utilising the temperature difference through Tube Heat Exchangers laid down below the earth at 2 Mtr. Depth.

There is no power, water used for maintaining the temperature inside the green house. The green house will grow vegetables, grass and other agri to enable local people to utilise their lands optimally, effectively and establish their roots to their own land of birth. This will reduce their migration and burden on cities like Ahmedabad, Bombay, Delhi, etc.

DHL
We recognise the vital importance of a healthy environment for the long-term viability of both our business and the planet.

Through our environment programme we seek to minimise our environmental impact and help our customers to realise their environmental objectives.

Our programme focuses on the following areas:

Managing risks

We place a special focus on tackling the causes of climate change - our top environmental priority. For example, we seek to manage environmental risks by:

Goldman Sachs Victory
Wall Street powerhouse investment bank, Goldman Sachs’ CEO Hank Paulson, announced the company’s first ever environmental policy in an exclusive story in the New York Times. You may remember that Goldman Sachs was part of our “Barbeque the Banks” action in the summer of 2004. Since then, with help from activists like yourself, RAN has worked with Goldman to bring endangered ecosystems and climate concerns to the front of their daily business activities. The policy was welcomed by RAN, scientists and opinion leaders as an important step forward on the path toward an economy that values the Earth, its inhabitants, and its natural systems.

Read the Goldman Sachs Policy here: http://www.ran.org/ran_campaigns/global_finance/GoldmanSachsPolicy.pdf

Read the New York Times article here: http://www.ran.org/news/newsitem.phpid=1681&area=news

The policy reflects a growing movement that expects such institutions to take responsibility for the impacts of their day-to-day business actions and to seek a “return on investment” that includes a healthy, sustainable planet not just a healthy bottom line. Here are some key details:

1. Goldman is the first ever non-commerical bank to adopt such a policy and is in good company with the likes of Citigroup, Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase, the top three financial firms in the U.S.
2. Goldman calls on the federal government to take action on climate change and adds itself to the growing list of financial firms lobbying for a solution to the problem of global warming.
3. Goldman acknowledges the threat to eco-system services like clean water, abundant food, and clean air and is committed to investing in solutions that will protect and grow those services.
   
   View the entire policy here, and can read the press release here.