![By U.S. Department of State from United States [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://i1.wp.com/www.healthissuesindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Secretary_Kerry_Addresses_Delegates_Before_Signing_the_COP21_Climate_Change_Agreement_on_Earth_Day_in_New_York_26514585581.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 "Exclusive interview: Sir Andy Haines on climate change, a global health challenge")
At a time when international countries have their sights firmly set on the COP26, research issued by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has suggested that there is roughly a forty percent chance annual average global temperatures will temporarily push past the limit set out in the COP21 climate agreement in at least one of the […]
environmental health
The Chipko movement, Sunderlal Bahuguna, and the continued deforestation crisis
Katherine Goldsmith once dubbed environmental activist Sunderlal Bahuguna ‘a gentle warrior’, in an exploration of his decades-long quest for environmental justice — perhaps most notably via the Chipko movement. Recently, Sunderlal Bahuguna passed away aged 94 after contracting COVID-19 — but his legacy endures, as does the Chipko movement he was such an integral part of. Chipko — or, “to hug”, […]
Twenty firms responsible for over half of all global single-use plastic waste
New research has revealed for the first time that just twenty companies are responsible for producing more than half of all the single-use plastic waste in the world. This marks an enormous contribution to the vast majority of the plastics pollutants in landfills, oceans, and the environment in general. The comprehensive new analysis published by […]
Purchasing of inefficient air conditioning in India points to lessons on consumer behavior and climate change
Often, the conversation about environmental issues revolves around government regulations and business practices. However, consumer choice also plays a significant role. A study mapping cooling energy consumption found individuals living in urban households in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) often purchase air conditioners on the basis of the brand, features and price points, rather than […]
India fails to outline pharmaceutical standard despite new research underlining the environmental importance
India’s Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has failed to outline norms for discharge standards for effluents from bulk drugs and pharmaceutical industries, due to a lack of ‘necessary information’. Home to one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical industries, India has long faced calls for regulation on effluents and runoff which have both an […]
Indian states could drive 2030 climate goal with economic approach to renewable energy investment
India’s prospects of achieving its nationally determined contribution (NDC) target of installing 450 GW of renewable capacity by 2030 looks favourable with global investors ready to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the country’s decarbonisation industry. For India to meet its renewable energy goal by 2030, it will need US$500 billion of investment over […]
Healthcare gains from meeting Paris Agreement uncovered for India and other major nations
Millions of lives could be saved by adopting policies in line with the targets of the Paris Agreement goals and prioritising health. This is according to new research published in The Lancet Planetary Health, from the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change. The adoption of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) aimed at limiting warming to […]
CCIL president T. M. Chen on pollution, air quality, and health
Air pollution is among the most pressing challenges in creating a healthy society. It has been a bane on Indians’ public health for decades as the State of Global Air Report 2020 underlined. To discuss this, Health Issues India spoke with T. M. Chen, president of Continental Carbon India Limited (CCIL) and Master of Chemical Engineering […]
Loss of green space in India shown to be associated with higher cardiometabolic risk
Loss of green space due to urban development may be associated with an increase in several cardiometabolic risk factors, according to a study conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal). The study investigated the association between land-use changes in a periurban area south of Telangana state capital Hyderabad where urbanisation – involving the […]
COVID-19 situation in Delhi “unprecendented” says Niti but no new lockdown on the horizon
The COVID-19 situation in Delhi is “unprecedented” according to government think tank Niti Aayog. However, the state health minister has disavowed a new lockdown. During a meeting chaired by Union Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah, Niti Aayog chairman Dr Vinod K. Paul warned that the COVID-19 situation in Delhi “is likely to become worse.” […]