Leonardo DiCaprio also has a 2016 documentary, Before the Flood, about climate activism, where political activist Sunita Narain called him out on his actions directly: Your consumption is really going to put a hole in the planet… The fact is that we need to put the issue of lifestyle and consumption at the center of climate negotiations.
2025 has emerged as a stark climate alarm for India, with the country recording its eighth warmest year on record and the warmest winter in 124 years, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Rather than just scorching days, it was the rising minimum (night-time) temperatures that prolonged heat stress and triggered extreme weather events across winter, pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons. Unprecedented warmth in February, heavy pre-monsoon downpours and deadly monsoon floods alike were fueled by this persistent overnight warmth, amplifying heat stress, floods and landslides across regions. The abnormal rainfall patterns and warmer nights intensified climate hazards, making extreme rain the deadliest climate risk of the year. These trends reflect the deepening impacts of human-driven climate change and expose the failure of meaningful climate action. Read on to understand how policy and corporate inertia are deepening the crisis. Source: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/climate-change/2025-marked-by-rising-night-time-temperatures-and-extreme-rainfall-across-seasons-in-india
According to Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) “Despite being a city with more than one million, Delhi did not receive air pollution funding under..
NEW DELHI: As the European Union’s carbon border tax comes into effect from January 1, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a New Delhi-based think tank, Saturday warned that the move would shift the decarbonisation costs on to developing countries including India. It said decarbonisation is critically important, but should not be pushed through unilateral measures like Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) which is expected to generate 1.5 billion euros annually for EU nations by 2028 at the cost of the Global South. CBAM — carbon border tax — is a tool to put a price through imposing border tax on greenhouse gas (GHG) intensive goods (emission generated during production), like iron & steel, aluminium, cement and fertilisers, that are entering the 27 EU nations. It will put a tariff burden on such products of developing countries and impact their trade. Noting its implication for India, the CSE’s analysis shows that CBAM could impose substantial cost pressures on steel and aluminium exports to the EU and it could face a price burden of around 25% — a shock that exporters are likely to absorb through price compression in order to remain competitive. This is the reason India and many other countries, including China and South Africa, have been resisting it for long. “By putting a carbon price at the border, CBAM changes how competitiveness is defined in global trade. But what it also does is shift the decarbonisation costs to developing countries, thus extending a familiar dynamic where developing countries adapt to rules set elsewhere, under conditions that structurally disadvantage them,” said Sunita Narain, director general, CSE. “Decarbonisation in industry is both necessary and unavoidable. Developing countries will need to pursue decarbonisation to remain competitive. However, this transition can’t be driven through unilateral steps alone,” she said. Since the entire amount collected as carbon border tax would go to the EU nations (75% to EU budget and 25% to national budget) without actually helping out other countries’ decarbonisation efforts, the CSE has recommended that developed countries like India should collect a carbon tax domestically at point of exports, so that the funds can be directed towards decarbonisation of domestic industry, whilst also meeting the CBAM’s carbon pricing criteria. “This can help reduce the carbon intensity of manufacturing. It will also ensure a level playing field and also provide funds for countries of the Global South to invest in low carbon growth,” said Avantika Goswami, programme manager (climate change), CSE. A CSE’s product-wise analysis of CBAM-covered sectors and their corresponding exports from India shows that the country’s CBAM-covered goods’ exports to the EU comprised nearly 10% of its total goods exports to the EU in the year 2022-23. By value, this was about 0.2% of India’s GDP in that financial year. These exports comprise about one-fourth (25.7%) of India’s total goods exports to the world for the CBAM-covered sectors, which is not insignificant for the industries operating in these sectors. These are iron and steel, aluminium, fertilizers and cement. Currently, hydrogen and electricity are not exported from India to the EU. Flagging adverse impact of the carbon border tax, developing countries, including India, China and South Africa, have highlighted at several multilateral fora that the climate-linked trade measures such as CBAM risk increasing the overall cost of climate action, fragmenting multilateral cooperation, and shifting mitigation burdens onto countries with lower historical emissions and weaker capacities. The developing countries have also questioned the compatibility of CBAM with WTO rules. The issue was also flagged big time at the UN climate conference (COP30) in Belem, Brazil in Nov last year.
The EU is rolling out its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on January 1, 2024, and it could make things tough for countries like India. Importers will have to pay extra for the carbon emissions in products like steel and aluminum—possibly raising export costs by up to 25%, according to an estimate from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
प्रदूषण का असर लंबे समय तक है रहता सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) की क्लीन एयर प्रोग्राम मैनेजर शांभवी शुक्ला के अनुसार प्रदूषण केवल सीधे धुएं तक सीमित नहीं है। वाहनों और उद्योगों से निकलने वाली गैसें वातावरण में रासायनिक प्रतिक्रिया कर सेकेंडरी कणों का निर्माण करती हैं, जो अधिक महीन होते हैं और लंबे समय तक हवा में बने रहते हैं। इसी वजह से प्रदूषण का असर लंबे समय तक बना रहता है।
Mumbai: A total of 850 types of industries will now be largely exempt from routine environmental clearances after the state govt on Friday issued a new classification list adding 628 industries to the ‘White Category'. According to a press note issued by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), the newly added industries are considered to have negligible environmental impact and will not be required to obtain consent to establish or operate under pollution control regulations. The activities include IT and software offices, data processing and back-office centres, garment stitching and tailoring units without dyeing, bakeries and confectionery units not using fuel-fired ovens, dry cleaning units using non-hazardous solvents, assembly of electronic and electrical goods, book binding and printing units without chemical processing, and light engineering or hand-tool assembly units. Sanjay Bhuskute, public relations officer MPCB, said the move was aimed at promoting ease of doing business. "Companies will now only have to submit a one-time, single-page application, after which they will receive an online response. There will be no continuous inspections and no need for regular reclassification. With this expansion, Maharashtra will be the state with the highest number of industries classified under the White Category," he said. The classification of industries into different colours was introduced by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 2016 as part of a nationwide system of classifying industries based on pollution potential. Under this framework, Red Category industries include highly polluting activities such as chemical manufacturing and large power plants, which require strict clearances and regular monitoring, orange covers moderately polluting industries, while Green Category includes relatively low-polluting units that still require basic environmental permissions. In Feb 2025, the Centre had identified only 54 industries under the White Category. The MPCB subsequently expanded the list to 222 industries, and with the latest notification issued on Friday, the number has now risen sharply to 850, significantly reducing regulatory oversight for a wide range of activities. Bhagwan Keshbhat, founder and CEO of environmental organisation Waatavaran, said the expansion appeared to be based on a considered assessment. "The list seems carefully curated, with industries correctly identified as having very low emissions. It should help simplify processes for small-scale industries," he said. However, environmental groups flagged concerns over implementation and enforcement. Nivit Yadav, programme director of the industrial pollution control unit at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said regulatory capacity remained a major challenge. "We need to talk about how these guidelines will be implemented and enforced. Officers need to understand an industry properly before laying down guidelines, but pollution control boards across the country are severely short-staffed. They are barely able to understand these industries, let alone enforce norms, and this appears to be an easy way out," he said. Yadav also cautioned that waste management needed closer scrutiny. "Many of the industries that will now have very limited oversight will need to manage their waste responsibly. For several industries this may be inconsequential, but for others — such as CFL bulb manufacturing, which has been included in the new list — the waste generated can be toxic," he said.
Explainer: How data shows farm fire role is limited in Delhi pollution Delhi recorded more 'severe' air quality days in December than during the stubble-burning phase article_Author Sneha Richhariya Updated At : 08:52 AM Jan 03, 2026 IST fb twitter whatsapp Follow us 0 Follow us Connect with us 1 Connect with us featured-imgfeatured-img Representative photo Advertisement IN late December, a Right to Information reply from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said that stubble burning contributed only 3.5 per cent to Delhi’s PM2.5 levels this winter. This fresh change in evidence reopened a curious question — why did Delhi’s air remain poor through December, after stubble burning incidents dropped? Data from the CPCB, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and a year-end analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) helps explain this gap.
केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड' (सीपीसीबी) के अनुसार वर्ष 2030 तक भारत में अपशिष्ट उत्पादन बढ़कर 165 मेट्रिक टन हो जाएगा। 'सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट' (सीएसई) द्वारा साल 2020 में किए गए शोध के अनुसार भारत में 3159 कचरे के पहाड़ हैं जिनमें 80 करोड़ टन कचरा मौजूद है। 'संयुक्त राष्ट्र संघ' द्वारा तय किए गए 17 'सस्टेनेबल डेवलपमेंट गोल्स' (एसडीजी) में सभी के लिए स्वच्छ जल और स्वच्छ भूमि के दो प्रमुख लक्ष्य भी हैं जिनमें ठोस कचरा प्रबंधन भी शामिल है।
NEW DELHI: A New Delhi-based environmental think tank, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), has warned the European Union (EU) that imposing a carbon tax on developing countries like India will exacerbate climate inequities by shifting the burden of decarbonisation onto the Global South. The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) came into effect on January 1, taxing selected industrial goods exported to the EU. CBAM is a carbon tax that the EU impose on imported goods to protect the climate and its companies. For countries like India, this has significant implications. Analysis indicates that CBAM could reduce the actual price of Indian steel and aluminium—mainly produced using coal—by 16 to 22%. Such shocks are likely to be mitigated through price compression in order to maintain competitiveness. "By putting a carbon price at the border, the CBAM alters the definition of competitiveness in global trade. However, it also shifts the costs of decarbonisation to developing countries, perpetuating a familiar dynamic where these nations adapt to rules set elsewhere under conditions that structurally disadvantage them," said Sunita Narain, Director General of CSE.
Even as farm fires dropped to negligible levels in December, air pollution across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) increased sharply, a new analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has found. The study compares October-November, when farm fires influence air quality, with December, when their impact becomes negligible. It finds that the average PM2.5 concentrations were higher in December than in October and November, when stubble burning was active, pointing to local and regional emission sources and not farm fires, as the main drivers of winter smog.
Delhi-NCR began January 2 with partly cloudy skies and moderate fog in many areas, turning dense to very dense in pockets, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of poor visibility through the morning. The cold is also tightening its grip. IMD’s forecast pegs Friday’s temperatures at 16–18°C (max) and 8–10°C (min), after Thursday’s reading hovered around 17.3°C (max) and 10.6°C (min). Fog hits travel plans; airlines warn of disruptions The fog is already spilling into the airport story. Flight operations in Delhi have faced delays and cancellations during the New Year fog spell, and airlines have issued advisories and cancellations to manage passenger load and waiting times. IndiGo, for instance, said it had cancelled some flights in advance amid low visibility conditions, asking passengers to check updates and offering assistance at the airport. The bigger worry: winter smog rising even without farm fires Here’s the uncomfortable twist: even as farm fires dropped to negligible levels in December, Delhi’s particulate pollution rose. A new analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) found that average PM2.5 concentrations were higher in December than in October–November, despite the farm-fire contribution falling sharply. The implication is blunt: local and regional sources, vehicles, industry, waste burning and household fuels, are doing most of the damage in core winter. CSE’s point is not “stubble doesn’t matter.” It’s that when stubble stops, Delhi doesn’t clear—it often gets worse, because the city’s own emissions meet cold air, weak winds and inversion-like winter conditions. Delhi govt says 2025 was the “best AQI in eight years” In parallel, Delhi’s government has claimed it made measurable gains in 2025, citing more “good AQI” days and fewer extreme pollution episodes. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has pitched 2025 as Delhi’s best air quality stretch in eight years, crediting tighter enforcement across dust, vehicles, industry and waste.
Across the country, incidents of deaths after meals are now common. Since the causes of many of these deaths were never accurately determined, it is becoming increasingly clear that the way some foods are being processed poses serious health risks, especially to vital organs and the immune system. The most endangered are people already malnourished as they lack the proper mix of amino acids that are vital ingredients in detoxifying some of the poisons. Perhaps more disturbing is that most of these fatal incidents are never investigated by health authorities to ascertain their causes so that lessons can be learnt. When five siblings in Anambra State recently died from suspected food poisoning, we called for a thorough investigation but up till now, there has been no report. The children reportedly ate a meal prepared by their mother before they started experiencing stomach aches, vomiting, and other symptoms, which worsened over time and were rushed to the hospital where they all died. Their mother, who also ate from the same meal, was said to be in critical condition at the time. On the average, contaminated amala, rice, beans, biscuits, and others lead to more than 30,000 deaths in a year. The issue of food safety has for several years posed a daunting challenge in Nigeria hence an urgent need for strict compliance with laws on food preservation. For instance, experts have identified improper use of agro chemicals and pesticides to control pests on grains as one of the causes of the rising cases of food poisoning in Nigeria. Last year, the University of Ibadan released report of a study which revealed that over 50 per cent of pregnant women in some rural areas had detectable levels of pesticides in their blood. Jointly conducted by the Environmental Rights Action (ERA) and the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the report reveals the adverse effects of chemical poisoning cases especially concerning food-borne diseases with their attendant social, economic and health costs. The consumption of food grains that have been laced with pesticides by vendors to preserve their shelf life and protect them from destruction by pests puts many people at risk of gastro-intestinal disorders and some types of cancers. Given the alarming rate at which people, including sometimes a whole family, eat certain food and then die, there is an urgent need for public enlightenment on the danger associated with some of the food items we consume. Nigerians must also be made to understand that certain food can be dangerous if not properly processed. For instance, it is important that there be a campaign on cassava-based dishes which are widely consumed in Nigeria, where it is a major source of carbohydrates. They are by far the commonest meals, with popular appeal to the poor. But cassava has one major drawback: When poorly processed, the roots and leaves contain a substance named Linamarin which when eaten is converted to cyanide, a poisonous gas which could be fatal when inhaled or ingested. The processing of cassava often employed by the traditional methods and rural women is said to be good enough to effectively contain the toxic content found in cassava, whether of the sweet or bitter variety. But these days, many producers adopt short-cut processing techniques, which turn out to endanger lives. In some cases, particularly those with high cyanide levels, mere exposure to volatile substances while being processed can cause some health disorders. The poor preparation of cassava meals, according to experts, can leave enough of this poisonous substance to cause acute intoxication, goitre and in some cases death.
बड़ी चिंता: बिना पराली जलाने के भी सर्दियों में स्मॉग बढ़ रहा है यहां एक परेशान करने वाला मोड़ है: दिसंबर में पराली जलाने की घटनाएं न के बराबर होने के बावजूद, दिल्ली में पार्टिकुलेट प्रदूषण बढ़ गया। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) के एक नए एनालिसिस में पाया गया कि अक्टूबर-नवंबर की तुलना में दिसंबर में औसत PM2.5 कंसंट्रेशन ज़्यादा था, जबकि पराली जलाने का योगदान तेज़ी से कम हुआ था। इसका मतलब साफ है: स्थानीय और क्षेत्रीय स्रोत, वाहन, इंडस्ट्री, कचरा जलाना और घरेलू ईंधन, सर्दियों में सबसे ज़्यादा नुकसान पहुंचा रहे हैं। CSE का कहना यह नहीं है कि "पराली जलाने से कोई फर्क नहीं पड़ता।" बल्कि यह है कि जब पराली जलाना बंद हो जाता है, तो दिल्ली साफ नहीं होती - बल्कि अक्सर स्थिति और खराब हो जाती है, क्योंकि शहर का अपना उत्सर्जन ठंडी हवा, कम हवा और इनवर्जन जैसी सर्दियों की स्थितियों से मिलता है।
प्रदेश में बारिश की तरह अब हवा खराब होने की भी चेतावनी मिलेगी। इसके लिए प्रदेश में अर्ली वॉर्निंग सिस्टम तैयार किया गया है, जो नए साल में अलवर, भिवाड़ी में काम शुरू कर देगा। यह सिस्टम वहां के उद्योगों, कारखानों से निकलने वाले धुएं से बिगड़ते एयर क्वालिटी इंडेक्स (एक्यूआई) की 3 दिन पहले जानकारी दे देगा। पॉल्यूशन कंट्रोल बोर्ड ने यह सिस्टम आईआईटीएम पुणे की मदद से करीब 1 करोड़ में बनवाया है। यह सिस्टम मौसम विभाग और एयर क्वालिटी स्टेशनों के डेटा का एनालिसिस कर एक्यूआई लेवल की एडवांस जानकारी देता है। डिसीजन सपोर्ट सिस्टम; कारखानों को कम क्षमता पर चलाने का अलर्ट देगा {यह सिस्टम चालू होने पर एक डिसीजन सपोर्ट सिस्टम बनेगा, जो एक्यूआई बिगड़ने पर कारखानों को सूचना भेजेगा। {कारखाने व फैक्ट्रियां कुछ समय के लिए क्षमता से 75% या 50% पर भी चलाए जा सकेंगे। क्लाइमेट चेंज एडॉप्टेशन प्लान पॉल्यूशन कंट्रोल बोर्ड क्लाइमेट चेंज एडॉप्टेशन प्लान भी नए साल में लाएगा। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट की मदद से तैयार हो रहे इस सिस्टम से क्लाइमेट में आ रहे बदलाव से बचाव के तरीके निकालने में मदद मिलेगी।
Hawa Badlo, India’s nationwide movement dedicated to improving air quality through awareness and collective action, successfully concluded the launch of Hawa Badlo School Warrior 3.0, its flagship student-led environmental campaign. The launch event marked another milestone in the movement’s efforts to empower young citizens to take ownership of India’s clean-air future. The initiative was launched in the presence of Mr. Praveer Kumar Agarwal, Executive Director – Training, GAIL (India) Limited, whose leadership and continued institutional support have played a significant role in strengthening the campaign’s scale and impact. With the sustained backing of GAIL (India) Limited, the campaign once again reinforced the importance of industry participation in nurturing environmental awareness and youth leadership. Hawa Badlo School Warrior 3.0 invites students from schools across the country to actively engage with issues of air pollution, sustainability, and responsible environmental behaviour. Through essays, illustrations, videos, innovations, and other creative formats, students are encouraged to share ideas and solutions that promote clean air. The campaign positions children not just as learners, but as changemakers who can influence their families, schools, and communities. At its core, the School Warrior initiative continues to serve as a powerful platform for youth empowerment. While young people may not yet directly shape policy, the campaign recognises their critical role in influencing mindsets, everyday behaviours, and future norms. By encouraging meaningful engagement with environmental challenges, Hawa Badlo School Warrior 3.0 aims to nurture a generation that sees clean air as a fundamental right and a shared responsibility. The launch event also featured an insightful panel discussion that brought together experts, educators, policymakers, and youth voices to reflect on the future of environmental leadership in India. Moderated by Mr. Ajay Pandey, Co-founder, Think Through Consulting, the panel included: Ms. Taru Mehta, Associate Director – Environment Education & Awareness, TERI Ms. Anumita Roychowdhary, Executive Director, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Ms. Zainab Bie, Climate, Energy & Philanthropy Strategist, United Nations A school student and environment enthusiast, representing youth perspectives The discussion emphasised that environmental education must go beyond textbooks and translate into small, meaningful actions in everyday life. Panelists highlighted that today’s children will shape tomorrow’s world, and early engagement can help India move towards a greener and healthier future. Speakers also shared inspiring examples of young students and entrepreneurs developing innovative solutions for environmental protection, underlining the importance of platforms like Hawa Badlo School Warrior in fostering awareness, creativity, and responsibility from a young age. While creativity and expression remain central to School Warrior 3.0, the campaign also draws attention to the urgency of India’s air-pollution crisis, particularly in urban centres where health risks continue to grow. By engaging students early, Hawa Badlo aims to instil long-term environmental thinking and accountability. Though student-centred, the impact of Hawa Badlo School Warrior 3.0 extends beyond classrooms to teachers, parents, and local communities. The campaign continues to position School Warrior as a bridge between awareness and action, reinforcing the belief that meaningful change begins with dialogue, and that dialogue often starts with young voices.