Climate Thesis

People + AI's Thesis on what AI can do for Climate

Contributors

⁠

Sonika Choudhury⁠

Meghana Santosh⁠

Prashanth Varanasi⁠

⁠

Background

Climate change is a critical need of the hour to solve for, globally as well as in India. India is the third largest emitter of GHG emissions globally (8% of the global emissions in 2023). This is contributed by various factors such as industrial growth, increase in agricultural production using modern but ineffective methods, loss in biodiversity and forest cover to support industrial growth, increase in waste disposal across all categories and air pollution.

As the world's third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, India faces a conundrum.

How to reduce its carbon footprint and adapt to the unfolding impacts of climate change, while ushering in economic prosperity and securing a better quality of life for its citizens?

There is a need for collaborative action to identify and scale viable solutions at the intersection of business value, planet positive and people-centric growth. Key focus areas for us to drive climate action are identifying innovative solutions, unlocking finance, fostering collaborations with stakeholders across the value chain, establishing robust data analytics and monitoring, policy support and a conducive business environment to operate.

The scale of action required makes AI a powerful tool. From smart grids to hyperlocal predictive models, by harnessing the power of machine learning, policymakers, business and community can develop targeted strategies to mitigate emissions, adapt to climate impacts, and create more resilient communities.

People+ai⁠

we want to be at the forefront of building AI for the Indian climate domain. This document is our roadmap to spearhead a sustainable future for India.

Overview of India’s Climate Footprint

Cement and steel sectors contribute to more than 18% of India’s emissions.

70-75% of India’s energy is dependent on coal and fossil fuel imports.

Globally, 42 cities out of 50 most polluted cities are in India, causing severe risk of health issues.

Depleting water resources and ground water table, limiting the access to clean drinking water, agriculture productivity, etc.

1/5th of the total plastic waste generated globally is contributed by India, causing serious concerns on land, soil, water and ocean health.

40% of the food produced gets wasted post-harvest in India, due to productivity losses, inefficient logistics, lack of integrated cold chain, gap in demand-supply, pricing issues and others.

More than 80 percent of India's people live in districts that are at risk of climate-induced disasters

⁠

Key Focus Areas

⁠

The 5 Verticals of AI Driven Climate Action

⁠

Contribute here

⁠

Topics for Discussion

⁠

Climate * AI Landscape

⁠