29-04-2025
The Huddle to discuss climate challenge and responses
In November, climate envoys from around the world will converge in Belem, Brazil for the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, an annual endeavour to get countries to raise ambition on tackling climate change. The facts on climate change and the link with human-caused warming are well established, and become ominous with each passing year.
To avert the worst impacts of climate change and preserve a liveable planet, the United Nations says, global warming needs to be contained as far as possible to 1.5 degrees Celsius over the average temperature of the pre-industrial era. However, that means reducing emissions by 43% relative to 2019, by 2030. Global carbon emissions, largely from fossil fuels, continue to rise and reach record levels. Global carbon dioxide emissions likely reached a record high of 41.6 billion tonnes in 2024, up from 40.6 billion tonnes in 2023.
The Huddle, a marquee event of The Hindu Group to be held in Bengaluru on May 9 and 10, will have an exciting panel discussion, 'Climate calling: is technology the panacea for a warming planet?', to discuss the challenges facing the planet.
With the advent of the Trump presidency and a disavowal of the facts around climate change, there is a growing sense that somehow only markets and finance or grandiose technological fixes can 'save' the planet. Rather than curbing emissions, the conversation seems to be drifting towards ways to make money off the crisis. Are we at an impasse? Where do we go from here?
Dissecting these questions will be the panel of three eminent analysts — Dr. Arunabha Ghosh, Founder-CEO of the Council On Energy, Environment and Water; Dr. Vibha Dhawan, Director-General, The Energy Resources Institute; and Dr. Sambuddha Misra, a chemical-oceanographer at the Indian Institute of Science and Chief Scientist, Alt Carbon. Dr. Ghosh and Dr. Dhawan have advised governments, States and companies on navigating the challenges from climate change and are leaders of the most influential climate-policy institutions in India and Dr. Misra is a leading climate scientist who is part of the 'climate-tech' start-up which probes how the natural world is responding to warming and the limits to which geo-engineering can fix it.
Among the topics that the session, moderated by Jacob Koshy, Deputy Editor, The Hindu, will discuss are: 'If the current Trump Presidency counts as a serious setback to addressing climate change'; 'Whether multilateralism is oh-so-20th century?', 'Can you make money and still save the planet?' and 'Whether it is time that India evolved a dedicated 'climate mission' on the lines of the AI or Quantum Mission?'
The theme of this year's Huddle is 'India in Dialogue'. The event is a celebration of meaningful debates and conversations. At a time when noise often drowns out nuance, The Huddle creates space for listening, reflection, and authentic connections.
