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Air quality and the energy transition are closely linked: tackling one issue normally means making a dent in the other. India is a great example of that paradigm in action, but more still needs to be done, according to health expert Pallavi Pant
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India is poised to become the most populous country on Earth, with energy demands and climate concerns set to grow in step. Air pollution has long been a significant health concern in many of India’s cities, in particular in the capital of New Delhi, which regularly tops global pollution indexes.
Given that air quality is intrinsically linked to the energy transition through sectors like transport, power generation, agriculture and more, India is a fascinating testbed for policies that can work on a broad scale.
Whether that means shifting vehicles towards e-mobility, setting new industrial standards or making big investments in cleaning up the heating sector, India is slowly but surely making progress. But is it fast enough? What other policies must be taken seriously by the government to solve this problem? And what can India learn from other countries that struggle to keep air quality high?
To tackle the pollution-climate issue, Sam is joined this week by Pallavi Pant from the Health Effects Institute, a US-based research group where she leads the global health programme.
Enjoy the dispatch!
If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Pallavi Pant
Sam Morgan
@Policy Dispatch
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy
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