In a momentous collaboration aimed at fostering sustainable development and creating a just transition to a low-carbon economy, the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT-K) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) have joined hands by signing a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This partnership sets the stage for joint work on just transition initiatives, including the development of an innovative platform to monitor and track progress toward an inclusive and sustainable transition, particularly in subnational contexts like Indian states.
Under the agreement, the Just Transition Research Centre (JTRC) at IIT-K will work in collaboration with the IISD to focus on just energy transition. This collaboration signifies a commitment to leveraging collective expertise and resources to address the challenges posed by climate change and advance the concept of a ‘just transition’ towards a sustainable and inclusive future.
As India transitions to renewable energy, the shift is expected to impact over 20 million jobs, revenues for over 50 districts and six states, as well as local welfare schemes. Enabling a just transition is a complex process that requires a guiding roadmap and regular updates on operating factors and resources. The primary objective of this MoU is to establish a robust online platform that will serve as a repository for critical data, research, and policy insights related to just transition.
IIT-K and IISD will primarily engage with India’s coal mining states, including Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh, to assess the state of just transition in different jurisdictions and track progress over time. They will establish a framework that captures specific just transition indicators based on the country’s context.
Renowned for its academic prowess and cutting-edge research, IIT Kanpur will contribute data for the Indian states through its Just Transition Research Centre (JTRC), which is already working with diverse stakeholders in the aforementioned states. The centre’s coordinator and researchers will actively participate in generating relevant insights, data visualizations, and policy recommendations.
With its global footprint and deep-rooted understanding of sustainable development, IISD will bring valuable experiences in policy analysis and cross-country expertise to the partnership. Over the past few years, IISD has been the definitive source of robust estimates of government support for the energy sector in India, mapping out subsidies, capital expenditure of India’s public sector units (PSUs), and lending by public financial institutions (PFIs).
Founder and Coordinator of JTRC, Professor Pradip Swarnakar, emphasised the significance of systematic data for policy-making. “The collaboration aims to create a novel dataset, incorporating primary and secondary sources, to enable district-level, state-level, and national-level comparisons. The insights derived from this dataset will greatly benefit India’s government in shaping future just transition pathways,” he said.
The just transition data platform will bridge the gap between academics, policymakers, industries, and civil society organizations. Through its data-driven approach, the platform will enable evidence-based decision-making, assisting governments and industries in developing policies and strategies that promote environmentally conscious practices while safeguarding the interests of workers and vulnerable communities.
Siddharth Goel, Senior Policy Advisor at IISD, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating that IISD is delighted to partner with IIT-Kanpur on just transition initiatives. He emphasised the importance of quantitative indicators and a monitoring framework to assess the unfolding of a just transition, identify areas of focus for policymakers, and ensure social justice in the clean energy transition. The collaboration aims to adapt IISD’s framework to the specific context of India’s states.
The signing of the MoU represents a significant step toward a greener, better, and equitable future. As the world faces unprecedented climate challenges, this collaboration between IIT Kanpur and IISD will serve as a beacon of hope, guiding the path towards a more resilient planet for generations to come.
Under the agreement, the Just Transition Research Centre (JTRC) at IIT-K will work in collaboration with the IISD to focus on just energy transition. This collaboration signifies a commitment to leveraging collective expertise and resources to address the challenges posed by climate change and advance the concept of a ‘just transition’ towards a sustainable and inclusive future.
As India transitions to renewable energy, the shift is expected to impact over 20 million jobs, revenues for over 50 districts and six states, as well as local welfare schemes. Enabling a just transition is a complex process that requires a guiding roadmap and regular updates on operating factors and resources. The primary objective of this MoU is to establish a robust online platform that will serve as a repository for critical data, research, and policy insights related to just transition.
IIT-K and IISD will primarily engage with India’s coal mining states, including Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh, to assess the state of just transition in different jurisdictions and track progress over time. They will establish a framework that captures specific just transition indicators based on the country’s context.
Renowned for its academic prowess and cutting-edge research, IIT Kanpur will contribute data for the Indian states through its Just Transition Research Centre (JTRC), which is already working with diverse stakeholders in the aforementioned states. The centre’s coordinator and researchers will actively participate in generating relevant insights, data visualizations, and policy recommendations.
With its global footprint and deep-rooted understanding of sustainable development, IISD will bring valuable experiences in policy analysis and cross-country expertise to the partnership. Over the past few years, IISD has been the definitive source of robust estimates of government support for the energy sector in India, mapping out subsidies, capital expenditure of India’s public sector units (PSUs), and lending by public financial institutions (PFIs).
Founder and Coordinator of JTRC, Professor Pradip Swarnakar, emphasised the significance of systematic data for policy-making. “The collaboration aims to create a novel dataset, incorporating primary and secondary sources, to enable district-level, state-level, and national-level comparisons. The insights derived from this dataset will greatly benefit India’s government in shaping future just transition pathways,” he said.
The just transition data platform will bridge the gap between academics, policymakers, industries, and civil society organizations. Through its data-driven approach, the platform will enable evidence-based decision-making, assisting governments and industries in developing policies and strategies that promote environmentally conscious practices while safeguarding the interests of workers and vulnerable communities.
Siddharth Goel, Senior Policy Advisor at IISD, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating that IISD is delighted to partner with IIT-Kanpur on just transition initiatives. He emphasised the importance of quantitative indicators and a monitoring framework to assess the unfolding of a just transition, identify areas of focus for policymakers, and ensure social justice in the clean energy transition. The collaboration aims to adapt IISD’s framework to the specific context of India’s states.
The signing of the MoU represents a significant step toward a greener, better, and equitable future. As the world faces unprecedented climate challenges, this collaboration between IIT Kanpur and IISD will serve as a beacon of hope, guiding the path towards a more resilient planet for generations to come.
