As India’s climate ambitions accelerate, the need for strong institutions, credible evidence, and sustained policy engagement has never been greater. At Mumbai Climate Week (MCW) 2026, the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth stepped forward to deepen its leadership in India, engaging partners, policymakers, and practitioners on how to build durable climate systems that deliver measurable impact.
The Institute’s booth at MCW became a vibrant space for exchange and collaboration. Together with the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC India) team, the Institute leadership engaged with over 150 visitors across three days. Policymakers, regulators, industry representatives, researchers, and funders stopped by to learn more about the Institute’s work on climate governance, pollution markets, energy transition, and institutional reform. Conversations ranged from technical design questions about the research we have conducted, the pollution markets we have set up in India, to long-term partnership opportunities, reflecting strong interest in scaling evidence-based solutions.
The booth was not simply a display of research outputs. Over the course of the week, it was a space for listening, exchanging ideas, and identifying areas of alignment.
Leadership presence throughout the week underscored the Institute’s deepening engagement in India. Across speaking engagements and strategic conversations, Sam Ori, Executive Director of the Institute, articulated a clear vision for supporting governments in designing durable, data-driven climate policy. Kristina Costa, Managing Director for Policy and Strategic Engagement, advanced discussions on strengthening policy collaboration and building institutional capacity. Becca Ward, Chief of Staff at the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth, participated in high-level dialogues focused on operationalising partnerships and expanding the Institute’s footprint in India.
Dr. Kaushik Deb, Executive Director of the Emissions Market Accelerator (EMA), an initiative that is part of the Institute, highlighted the Institute’s work on pollution markets across multiple platforms, including at a special dinner and networking event hosted by the Earthshot Prize, attended by senior leadership from both the Institute and EMA. During the event, he outlined EMA’s mission to mitigate air pollution through market-based mechanisms and shared the ambition, grounded in rigorous evidence, to expand access to cleaner air from 20 million people today to 1 billion people by 2030.
Dr. Deb also moderated an EMA-hosted hub session on scaling pollution markets for cleaner air and water, convening leaders from more than 35 organisations. The discussion traced EMA’s journey from piloting India’s first particulate matter emissions trading scheme in Surat, through early institutional and implementation challenges, to its official launch. A documentary-style film capturing the programme’s methodology, milestones, and long-term vision was screened during the session and was well received by the audience.
The Institute’s presence at Mumbai Climate Week marked an important step in strengthening its leadership in India. By combining on-the-ground engagement, high-level policy dialogue, and internal strategy alignment, the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth reinforced its commitment to supporting governments and partners in building durable climate institutions that deliver measurable results. The India Institute, launched in December 2024, builds on the decade-long work of EPIC in India.
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