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Washington, D.C., 3 November 2025 — Irreversible climate destruction is a peremptory violation of international law. This unprecedented legal determination, alongside the explicit recognition of the right to a healthy climate and Nature as a subject of rights, is among the conclusions highlighted in the new publication, Climate Justice and Human Rights: Legal Standards and Tools from the Inter-American Court’s Advisory Opinion 32/25.

The publication, developed in collaboration with over 20 organizations, including CIEL and IGSD, examines the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ groundbreaking Advisory Opinion of May 29, 2025, which confirmed that both States and non-State actors have binding human rights obligations to address the climate emergency. Through the Advisory Opinion, the Court established legal duties for acting urgently to keep within the 1.5°C guardrail, grounded in human rights. Through 14 thematic briefs, the report translates the Court’s Advisory Opinion into a practical roadmap for climate litigation, policy reform, and accountability.

Key recommendations from the publication for utilizing the Advisory Opinion include:

Litigation and Judicial Practice

  • Invoke the Opinion as binding interpretive authority to treat climate inaction as a human rights violation, challenge inadequate climate plans and NDCs, and secure remedies and recognition for youth, Indigenous Peoples, and future generations.
  • Seek procedural and integral reparation for both climate harm and violations of procedural rights (like access to information, participation, and justice).

Legislative and Institutional Reform

  • Integrate human rights into climate laws, protect procedural rights, improve access to justice, and establish specialized climate courts and oversight bodies.
  • Incorporate Indigenous and traditional knowledge into climate decision-making, treating these as authoritative legal and scientific inputs.

International and Regional Cooperation

  • Treat cooperation as a binding legal obligation, grounded in good faith and proportionality to each State’s capabilities and historical emissions.
  • Integrate cooperation duties into domestic law, allowing civil society and courts to hold governments accountable for failures to cooperate internationally.

Civil Society and Advocacy Strategies

  • Advocate for just transition policies, like implementing Escazú, protecting environmental defenders, and scaling community and youth-led climate governance.
  • Push for enforcement and accountability through establishing ombudspersons, national human rights institutions, and other programs for climate-affected groups.

The Inter-American Court’s Advisory Opinion marks a historic milestone and is a transformative tool for binding climate governance. This new publication offers practical tools for courts, advocates, and policymakers to implement the Advisory Opinion’s standards and advance climate justice across the Americas and beyond.

Read the full publication here in English or Spanish.

Contact: info@igsd.org

3 November 2025 – Today, China submitted its 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The submission reaffirms China’s 2035 NDC targets as announced by President Xi Jinping at the United Nations Climate Summit in September 2025. Additionally, it lists specific quantitative targets on non-CO2 GHGs.

Key quantitative targets in the 2035 NDC include that China:

  • Will reduce its economy-wide net GHG emissions to 7–10% below its peak levels by 2035 and will strive to do better;
  • Will increase its non-fossil energy supply to 30% of total energy consumption by 2035;
  • Will raise its installed wind and solar power capacity to over 3.6 TW by 2035 (≈ six times of 2020 levels); and
  • Will ensure that its forest stock volume reaches over 24 billion cubic meters by 2035.

Specifically on the non-CO₂ GHGs, China’s 2035 NDC includes the following quantitative targets:

  • China will reduce the production and consumption of HFCs by at least 30% from baseline levels by 2035 (consistent with the goals provided in the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer); and
  • China will increase the comprehensive reutilization rate of livestock and poultry manure to over 85% by 2035 (China’s Methane Emissions Control Action Plan sets the target of raising the comprehensive reutilization rate of livestock and poultry manure to over 85% by 2030. see IGSD policy brief, here).

It is also noteworthy that China commits to protect its natural carbon sinks, including to maintain ecologically protected regions at no less than 3.15 million square kilometers, increase the rate of forest coverage to over 26%, and raise the soil conservation rate to 75%.

Climate science has confirmed that only a combined CO2 + non-CO2 super pollutant strategy can address the climate emergency to avoid climate catastrophe and tipping points. (see IGSD background note, here). The incorporation of non-CO2 GHGs into China’s quantitative NDC targets is one step forward. Nonetheless, more ambition and action can be identified, building upon China’s 2035 NDCs, to address the climate emergency.

Additional IGSD resources:

On October 29, 2025, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) held its monthly press conference. Against the backdrop of the upcoming 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), MEE stated that China will play a constructive role and support Brazil COP30 presidency. MEE noted that China would focus on the following aspects:

  • Sending a clear political signal for the next decade that countries will continue to make collective efforts on climate action and pursue the transition to green and low-carbon development. In this regard, international cooperation and multilateralism should remain the foundation for these efforts.
  • Adhering to the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement goals and principles, especially the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities. Developed countries are expected to honor their obligations considering historical responsibility, different development needs, and varying capacities.
  • Making balanced progress in negotiations on mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology, and capacity building. Countries should deliver concrete outcomes on the Global Goal on Adaptation and a practical technology implementation plan. On finance, the discussion should begin with the development of a pathway for developed countries to deliver their commitment of mobilizing $300 billion in funding and examining progress on doubling adaptation finance by 2025. This would ensure that developing countries have the fundamental support needed to achieve their Nationally Determined Contributions.
  • Urging stronger international cooperation and a climate-friendly trade environment. At COP30, countries are encouraged to address how unilateral and protectionist measures raise energy transition costs, particularly for developing countries.

MEE also commented on the mitigation of non-CO₂ greenhouse gases (GHGs), including methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. MEE indicated that the next steps will include advancing resource utilization of non-CO2 GHGs, strengthening emissions control, including through implementation of China’s relevant national action plans, improving foundational capacities, and promoting coordinated action on climate mitigation, pollution reduction, and green development.

Additional IGSD resources:

20 October 2025 – Montreal Protocol insiders and scholars from Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, and the United States have authored a new paper documenting that faster phasedown of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to help avert near-term climate tipping points will cost less than the existing schedule. The paper, HFC Phasedown Under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol Is Less Costly If Fast Than If Slow, highlights how:

  • New owners of cooling equipment who will benefit from lower cooling and service costs minimized by bulk procurement or buyers clubs;
  • Neighborhoods and cities that will experience reduced pollution from fossil fuel power plants;
  • Families and communities will benefit from electricity savings spent locally on goods and services that support quality of life and prosperity;
  • National governments will enjoy lower compliance costs for stratospheric ozone and climate treaty obligations, and from improved balance of payments and lower interest rates for public investments.
  • Non-Article 5 donors to the Multilateral Fund (MLF) that will have less to pay

Authored by Stephen O. Andersen, Jianxin Hu, Pengnan Jiang, Suely Carvalho, Richard Ferris, Xiaopu Sun, Kofi A. Agyarko, Ziwei Chen, and Marco González.

Available for download here.

10 October 2025 – Three advisory opinions on climate change have clarified state obligations under international law: the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea Advisory Opinion on Climate Change and the Law of the Sea (May 2024); the Inter-American Court of Human Rights Advisory Opinion OC-32/25 on Human Rights and the Climate Emergency (May 2025); and the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change (July 2025).

Below we include recent judicial decisions that reference or engage with the advisory opinions, starting with three recent decisions that reference the Inter-American and the International Court of Justice’s opinion.

Inter-American Court of Human Rights — Advisory Opinion on Human Rights and the Climate Emergency (OC-32/25, 3 July 2025)

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights published its groundbreaking legal opinion on July 3, 2025, declaring that States have a wide range of human rights obligations to address what the Court unanimously agreed to be a real and escalating climate emergency. In order to protect and guarantee multiple human rights including the newly articulated right to a healthy climate, States must undertake urgent and effective actions on mitigation, adaptation, and progress toward sustainable development through a lens of resilience and human rights.

For additional information, see:

Recent Judicial Decisions that Engage with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights

Important note: Under the Inter-American Court’s doctrine of ‘conventionality control,’ all domestic authorities—in judicial, legislative, and executive functions—of States which have ratified the American Convention on Human Rights have a legal obligation to ensure that their laws and policies conform to the Convention as interpreted by the Court. This includes the Advisory Opinion on the Climate Emergency, which constitutes the most authoritative interpretation of States’ human rights obligations under the Convention and other relevant and related treaties, in the context of climate change. The items below show recent examples of how courts are already engaging with the new international jurisprudence.

1.    Colombia – Santurbán Páramo Case

  • Court: Tribunal Administrativo de Santander [Administrative Court of Santander]
  • Case Name: Municipio de Bucaramanga y otros con Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y otros [Municipality of Bucaramanga et al. v. Ministry of the Environment et al.]
  • Decision No.: 680012333000-2018-00196-00
  • Date: 21 July 2025
  • Link: Access the decision here.  
  • Description: The Administrative Tribunal of Santander recognized the Santurbán páramo, a high-altitude wetland ecosystem in the Colombian Andes, as a subject of rights, ordering the Ministry of Environment to serve as its legal representative and prohibiting new mining licenses in the region. In a groundbreaking move, the Tribunal relied on the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ Advisory Opinion OC-32/25 on the Climate Emergency, particularly on its recognition of states’ obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and nature as a rights-bearing entity. This judgment set an important precedent by directly linking international climate jurisprudence with national environmental protection in Colombia.

2.    Brazil – Candiota Coal Mine and Powerplant Case

  • Court: 9ª Vara Federal de Porto Alegre [9th Federal Court of Porto Alegre]
  • Case Name: Instituto Preservar, AGAPAN y Núcleo Amigos da Terra v. Uniao Federal et al. [Instituto Preservar et al. v. Federal Union et al.]
  • Decision No.: 5050920-75.2023.4.04.7100
  • Date: 22 August 2025
  • Link: Access the decision here.  
  • Description: This structural climate litigation was brought before the Federal Court in Rio Grande do Sul against the Candiota coal mine and the Candiota III coal-fired power plant, one of Brazil’s most polluting coal plants. The Court suspended their environmental licenses until climate considerations are incorporated into the licensing process, mandated the Union and the State to present a Just Energy Transition Plan for the coal sector, and required democratic participation in climate governance bodies. The judgment drew on the precautionary principle, the Paris Agreement, and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ Advisory Opinion OC-32/25 on the Climate Emergency, marking a landmark integration of international climate law into domestic environmental governance.

3.    Canada – Wet’suwet’en Climate Case

  • Court: Federal Court of Canada
  • Case Name: Dini Ze’ Lho’imggin v. His Majesty the King in Right of Canada
  • Decision No.: T-211-20, 2025 FC 1586
  • Date: 26 September 2025
  • Link: Access the decision here.
  • Description: Two Wet’suwet’en houses filed a constitutional climate challenge alleging that Canada’s greenhouse gas policies violated their rights to life, liberty, and security of the person under section 7 of the Canadian Charter. The Federal Court held that the claim was justiciable and could potentially rest on novel causes of action grounded in customary international law, citing the International Court of Justice’s 2025 Advisory Opinion on Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change. However, the claim was struck for being overly broad—implicating nearly 1,900 statutory provisions—though leave to amend was granted. This ruling is a pioneering step in recognizing climate litigation as justiciable within Canada’s constitutional framework and international advisory opinions.

1 October 2025 – On 16 September 2025, Haryana Chief Minister Shri Nayab Singh Saini unveiled the new State Environment Plan (SEP), released in Panchkula, Haryana, which offers a complete analysis of the state’s environmental landscape. The plan covers areas like agriculture, waste management, transportation, air and noise pollution, as well as biodiversity. The SEP was developed through a partnership between the Haryana State Pollution Control Board, Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD), and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

Also released was A Dual Strategy Sprint Towards Sustainability: Non-CO₂ Pathways for Haryana. This report calls for a dual-pronged approach to tackle non-CO₂ pollutants, or short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), which are fast-acting climate forcers, in addition to CO₂. This is important because SLCP mitigation offers immediate dual benefits: dramatically improving air quality and rapidly combating climate change. This report was also collaboratively developed by IGSD, HSPCB, and TERI.

The urgency is clear. Haryana’s 2022 heat stress experience already showed significant damage to crops. Future assessments predict a 15-17% loss in essential irrigated rice and wheat yields by mid-century. This poses a serious risk to the state’s food security.

Chief Minister Shri Nayab Singh Saini framed the environment as non-negotiable for prosperity:

“Even if our GDP is the world’s highest, if our air is polluted, our water is contaminated, and our essential resources are depleted, our lives will lose meaning, no matter how strong the economy looks on paper.”  The Chief Minister highlighted the twin challenges of waste management and citizen participation. He noted that despite the 2013 ban on single-use plastics, polythene is still widespread.  “No law, campaign, or NGO effort will succeed unless people themselves feel that pollution is making life unbearable.” He urged for a united front: “The three essentials of human life—food, water, and oxygen—are all polluted today. The government will continue its efforts, but unless NGOs, students, communities, and ordinary citizens join hands, nothing significant will change.”

Echoing this focus on grassroots change, Minister of Environment, Forest & Wildlife, Shri Rao Narbir Singh, stressed the need for public awareness:

“The biggest issue is segregation of waste. People are still not aware of segregating wet waste and dry waste. Fines and challans alone cannot solve the problem—change must come from within.” 

Pardeep Kumar, IAS, Member Secretary, HSPCB, reinforced the state’s commitment to long-term sustainability.

“Our focus is not just on achieving short-term goals, but on ensuring that development in Haryana is always aligned with sustainability principles. Development should never come at the cost of our environment.”

 He detailed departmental efforts across critical areas like crop residue management, plastic pollution control, and air and water quality. “We have set clear departmental targets,” he said, “and I am confident that with everyone’s cooperation, we will achieve even better results.” 

Ms. Zerin Osho, Director for the India Program, IGSD, praised the strategic focus of the plan, noting its national significance:

“Haryana’s 2025 State Environment Plan (SEP) makes it the first in the country to have a non-CO₂ focus beyond its traditional structure.” She highlighted that the SEP’s dual strategy—reducing non-CO₂ emissions in the near term and CO₂ in the longer term—is a model for others to follow.

“This will ensure long-term food and socio-economic security for the state, and provide an example for other states to follow. Haryana’s 2025 State Environment Plan makes it the first in the country to have a non-CO2 focus beyond its traditional structure, making it a dynamic and responsive plan that has the capacity to deliver results in the current state of the environment.”

Dr. Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI, said:

 “The need to supplement long-term decarbonization with short-term warming mitigation is urgent, especially since countries like India in the Global South face immediate impacts. Haryana is showing leadership here. The State Environment Plan and Non-CO₂ Pathways reports provide a granular, scientific understanding of emissions, offering best-case scenarios for cutting non-CO₂ pollutants. When we make climate issues measurable with data, we deliver precise solutions in faster timeframes. These reports, developed in close partnership with IGSD, TERI, and HSPCB, will be key to Haryana’s success.”

The CEO of GMH, Marcelo Mena, said:

“Haryana, often described as one of India’s industrial and agricultural powerhouses, has become the second state after Punjab to adopt such a forward-looking climate strategy. Its plan shows the power of innovation and leadership at the subnational level. By addressing both carbon dioxide and other short-term super pollutants, the state is protecting communities today while advancing India’s long-term net-zero goals. The Hub is proud to support this milestone, which sets an inspiring precedent for states and regions around the world.”

Durwood Zaelke, Founder-President of the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development, said:

“With warming accelerating and irreversible tipping points getting closer and closer, it’s essential to cut non-CO2 climate pollutants, especially the short-lived super climate pollutants. Cutting the super pollutants is the sprint we can win in the next few years to slow warming while we also run the marathon to decarbonize and reduce CO2. I am proud that IGSD in India has been able to successfully develop emissions reports at a sub-national scale in Haryana. Such reports are invaluable in terms of the data insights they offer, and I am sure we will be able to replicate the success for states across India in future.

Offering a global perspective, Kevin Tidwell, Managing Director, Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, said:

“Climate change will disproportionately burden the Global South. It is essential to support research aiming to understand and mitigate the near-term effects of global warming; in particular, we need to better understand non-CO₂ climate pollutants and related mitigation pathways. IGSD’s work in India, with a focus on the impact of short-lived climate pollutants at the subnational level, is particularly significant. More quantifiable emissions and their effects on local communities help drive cost-effective impact by shaping policy, funding, and action.”

Michael Northrop, Program Director, Sustainable Development Program, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, said:

“As the world readies for intensified climate conversations in the days and weeks ahead, it is essential to recognize the value of subnational emissions efforts. For climate-vulnerable geographies especially, it is critical to have dual strategies in place—not only long-term decarbonization pathways, but also frameworks that drive action on short-lived climate pollutants such as methane and black carbon, which have severe near-term impacts. IGSD’s work in India is crucial for the country’s climate future.”

New York, 28 September 2025 – The Climate & Clean Air Coalition’s methane forum, co-hosted with Michael Bloomberg, was one of the most important meetings of Climate Week 2025. Ministers and current and former heads of State urged the world to take faster action to cut methane emissions to slow near-term warming. The call for binding methane mitigation starting with the oil and gas sector was heard throughout the week.

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley stated that:

“We need to recognize that if we are going to reduce emissions, and I say this to you, President Lula, as we go into COP, we … need a legally binding global agreement for methane reduction.  …  I feel that we do not need to reinvent the wheel. The Montreal Protocol that allowed us to reduce HFCs is the most successful climate agreement in history. We can replicate it….”

President Macron of France agreed:

“We need binding objectives on methane. We know that this is a reachable goal…. This is the best way to reduce our emissions and it’s also a G7 priority.”

President Simina of the Federated States of Micronesia elaborated:

“Voluntary methane pledges are failing to reduce emissions. Markets cannot align and polluters cannot be held accountable without stronger mandatory measures at national, regional, and global level. We need clear, predictable, mandatory approaches to ensure success. … Excellencies, friends, we have done this before. When the ozone layer was in crisis, leaders forged the Montreal Protocol—a binding, enforceable system that saved lives, created markets, and restored balance. We must summon that same courage for methane.”

Tuvalu Prime Minister Feleti Teo also called for a binding methane agreement:

“Tuvalu therefore calls on major emitters to … step up methane action with binding commitment. … The ICJ Advisory Opinion on Climate Change has made it crystal clear that inaction is not just immoral, it is unlawful. Together, we must rise to the challenge of honoring both legal and moral responsibility in safeguarding our shared future and pulling the emergency brake on methane. Cutting methane is the fastest scalable way to slow global warming, avoiding up to 0.3 degrees centigrade of warming by 2040 and buying critical time for long-term CO2 decarbonization strategies to take effect.” 

UN Secretary-General Guterres summed it up when he stated that for success at COP30:

“Five areas are crucial: First, … the clean energy transition.  …  Second, methane…. Drastic cuts this decade are essential – and most can be achieved quickly and cheaply. … fossil fuel operations could cut 40% of methane emissions today with no net cost. … The International Energy Agency estimates fossil fuel operations could cut 40% of methane emissions today with no net cost. Third, forests. We must end the destruction of nature’s greatest carbon sinks. This could deliver a fifth of needed emissions reductions by 2030.”

Durwood Zaelke, President of IGSD, wrapped up the meeting, along with Eamon Ryan, the former Environment Minister from Ireland. Durwood noted:

“This meeting on Wednesday the 23rd of September was one of the most important of Climate Week 2025, co-hosted by one of the most important climate organizations in the world, the CCAC, where every minister and current and former head of State drew their methane facts from this organization as they unanimously urged the world to take faster action to cut methane emissions and slow near-term warming. The call for binding methane mitigation starting with the oil and gas sector was heard and is clearly the way forward.”

In addition, Laurent Fabius, the president of COP21 and a member of the COP Presidents’ Circle, published an Op-Ed September 24th setting out options of developing a Montreal Protocol-inspired methane agreement and/or extending the European methane regulations. He builds his argument using the same basic framing and facts, that methane is responsible for 30% of historic warming, has the potential to avoid 0.3ºC in the next 15 years and 0.5ºC by 2050, and that the Montreal Protocol is one model.

Following Climate Week, on October 1st, the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change published a letter offering “Support for a strong and properly implemented EU Methane Regulation” signed by 42 leading institutional investors, representing more than EUR 4.75 trillion in assets, urging the European Commission, European Parliament, and European Union Member States “to maintain and implement the Regulation as adopted – including its timeline and core provisions”.

IGSD’s full report on methane efforts at NYCW is available here.

16 September 2025 – Today, on the occasion of the United Nations International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, IGSD, in collaboration with the Planetary Guardians Initiative, Plus Wonder, and others, released a report describing how the stratospheric ozone layer recovered from the danger zone through swift action under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The paper, How the Montreal Protocol Put the Stratospheric Ozone Layer on the Path to Recovery and Delayed Climate Tipping Points That Would Have Forced Earth Further Beyond Planetary Boundaries, also documents how recovery of the ozone layer helps protect the climate, agricultural and natural ecosystems, plant and animal species, and the built environment.

The paper was co-authored by leaders from the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD), the Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), the Planetary Guardians Initiative, Plus Wonder, and other experts formerly with the Montreal Protocol Ozone Secretariat and the United Nations Development Programme.

In a parallel effort, also in celebration of the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, the Planetary Guardians Initiative released two reels sharing the inspiring history of Ozone protection (see here and here).

Dr. Sylvia Alice Earle, marine biologist and oceanographer:

“The authors are among the architects and implementers of the Montreal Protocol and pioneers of the planetary boundaries framework for maintaining a “safe operating space for humanity.” Here, they convey a sense of hope but also of utmost urgency for action concerning the other features identified as planetary boundaries.”

Dr. Stephen O. Andersen, IGSD Director of Research and lead-author:

“This paper shows how, over its nearly 40-year history, the Montreal Protocol can rightly claim to be the most successful international treaties ever struck. It has fulfilled its original objective by putting the stratospheric ozone layer on the road to recovery. But its benefits have not stopped there: it has also done more than any other measure to combat climate change.”

Dr. Johan Rockström, founder of Planetary Guardians Initiative and Co-Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK):

“Boundaries are set to avoid tipping points, to have a high chance to keep the planet in a state as close as possible to the Holocene, that allows it to maintain its resilience, stability, and life support capabilities. Go beyond and we enter a danger zone… the uncertainty range of science.”

Forthcoming from the Planetary Boundary Initiative is also the Planetary Health Check 2025 Report, which will include an extra special focus on the oceans. The launch of the report will be on 24 September 2025.

How the Montreal Protocol Put the Stratospheric Ozone Layer on the Path to Recovery and Delayed Climate Tipping Points That Would Have Forced Earth Further Beyond Planetary Boundaries is available here. Co-authored by Dr. Stephen O. Andersen and Durwood Zaelke (IGSD), Dr. Suely Carvalho (formerly UNDP), Marco González (formerly Montreal Protocol Ozone Secretariat), Jean Oelwang (Plus Wonder), Dr. Johan Rockström (Planetary Guardians), and Dr. Guus J. M. Velders (RIVM)

Constructive peer-review comments can be submitted to Dr. Andersen at sandersen@igsd.org.

16 September 2025 – In celebration of the United Nations International Ozone Day, the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD) and the Mobile Air Climate Systems Association (MACS) released a 100-page history of automotive leadership in air conditioning and heating technology that protects the stratospheric ozone layer and climate. The history also includes a case study of the global cooperation in research, development, and commercialization of Secondary-Loop motor vehicle air conditioning (SL-MAC) using the ozone-safe and climate-friendly natural refrigerant R-290 (propane) in all-electric vehicles.

Durwood Zaelke, Founder and President, IGSD:

“This is the history of hundreds of engineers over more than five decades, continuously improving cooling and heating technology. Today, they have accomplished “moon shot” secondary-loop designs that extend electric vehicle driving range and battery life using clean power.”

Sangeet Kapoor, retired from TATA Motors, SL-MAC consultant:

“My former engineering team at TATA Motors India, in collaboration with Mahle and IGSD, demonstrated a climate-friendly SL-MAC superior in economic, environmental, and technology performance. SAE International, with a larger team, accomplished the safety, performance, and service standards for fast market penetration.”

Steven Schaeber, Director of Training and Regulatory Affairs, MACS:

“It was more than 35 years ago that MACS began teaching its US Clean Air Act Certification and Training program for mobile air conditioning technicians. Over the years, this training — including the proper use of leak detection tools and refrigerant recovery and recycling equipment — has helped to protect the ozone layer and climate by significantly reducing the amount of harmful refrigerant released into the atmosphere.”

James A. Baker (retired from General Motors/Delphi):

“I was working at General Motors in refrigerant systems chemistry when Mario J. Molina and F. Sherwood Rowland warned that chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants destroy the ozone layer that protects life on Earth from ultraviolet radiation. Others were skeptical of the science, but General Motors was not. We identified R-134a as the fast ozone-safe replacement and were ready in 1987 when the Montreal Protocol was signed.”

Industry Leadership in Motor Vehicle Air Conditioning (MACs) and Case Study of MAC Secondary-Loop Architecture Vital to Economic and Environmental Performance of All-Electric Vehicles is available here. Co-authored by Stephen O. Andersen, James A. Baker, Timothy D. Craig, Sangeet H. Kapoor, Steven G. Schaeber, Jr., and Sean Dennis (Technical Editor).

On World Environment Day, the Indian state of Punjab published Pathways to Net Zero in Punjab: The Critical Role of Non-CO₂ Pollutants, a groundbreaking report signaling a shift toward comprehensive climate action. The report, collaboratively developed by the Punjab State Council for Science & Technology, the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development, and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), calls for a dual-pronged approach targeting short-lived climate pollutants alongside CO₂ mitigation.

Between 2010 and 2023, Punjab experienced 128 heatwave days, including an early-season heatwave in 2022 that slashed wheat yields by up to 25% in certain districts. With all nine monitored cities surpassing national ambient air quality standards for PM2.5 in 2024, and projections suggesting a temperature rise of 2.1°C to 4.5°C by mid-century, immediate and effective action on non-CO₂ pollutants is vital.

Dr. Ravjot Singh, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs of Punjab:

“Punjab’s commitment to a clean environment is evident in our ongoing efforts, particularly in urban waste management. This comprehensive technical report, expertly prepared by IGSD and its partners, is a testament to the power of collaboration and data-driven solutions. I am extremely optimistic that its insights will translate directly into effective policies and a clear action plan, ensuring a sustainable and healthy future for all Punjabis.”

Executive Director PSCST, Mr. Pritpal Singh:

“This report offers Punjab a clear roadmap grounded in robust scientific analysis and practical recommendations. It identifies priority sectors and actionable interventions crucial for integrating climate action with clean air goals, ensuring informed decision-making and targeted policy implementation. Our collaborative approach has positioned Punjab to deliver meaningful reductions in non-CO₂ pollutants, setting an ambitious yet achievable standard for environmental excellence nationwide.”

Ms. Carolina Urmeneta, Program Director for Waste and Circular Economy of GMH:

“Concrete action plans to reduce non-CO₂ pollutants are critical – not only to bend the temperature curve and prevent overshoot, but also to deliver immediate local benefits, particularly in waste management, that improve the lives of communities. By supporting IGSD in developing this pathway together with different actors, we aim to strengthen South-South collaboration and accelerate collective climate action. This work reflects the vision of COP30 and supports India’s leadership in driving a decisive, multisectoral response to climate change, a challenge we must address together”.

Durwood Zaelke, President of IGSD:

“While the marathon fight to cut carbon dioxide is vital, the sprint to cut short-lived climate pollutants may decide whether South Asia can survive the next two decades of heat stress. A first-of-its-kind report from Punjab shows why: SLCPs drive nearly half of today’s warming, and cutting them delivers quick wins for both health and climate. With granular, state-level SLCP data now available, India has a chance to lead by turning evidence into urgent action.”

Zerin Osho, Director of IGSD’s India Program:

“At IGSD, we’ve consistently advocated for addressing both long-term decarbonization and immediate reduction of short-lived pollutants. With severe impacts already experienced in Punjab—such as extensive heatwaves and reduced agricultural yields—immediate action becomes critical. Punjab’s integration of SLCF mitigation into its Vision 2047 roadmap and SAPCC 2.0 demonstrates leadership that can deliver significant emission reductions.“

Strategic Interventions Outlined in the Report:

  • Electrifying public transport and implementing comprehensive vehicle scrappage and hydrogen policies, aiming for up to 58% emission reductions in transport by 2047.
  • Achieving near-zero emissions from residential cooking by attaining 100% LPG adoption by 2030 (urban areas) and 2047 (rural areas).
  • Significantly reducing solid waste emissions through landfill closures and sustainable waste management practices such as composting, anaerobic digestion, and recycling.
  • Mitigating agricultural emissions through Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) and crop diversification, potentially cutting emissions by up to 91% by 2047.
  • Reducing livestock emissions per unit of milk produced by integrating breed and fodder management, achieving reductions of up to 52% by 2047.
  • Promoting the use of paddy straw-based fuel in industrial boilers to support sustainable paddy straw management and enhance farmer incomes

The report emphasizes Punjab’s readiness to leverage ongoing initiatives and implement essential policy shifts. It serves as a living document, adaptable to evolving policies, technologies, and sectoral shifts, guiding the state toward a cleaner, healthier, and more climate-resilient future.

The full report, Pathways to Net Zero in Punjab: The Critical Role of Non-CO₂ Pollutants, is available here.

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