University of Chicago launches Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth in India

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The University of Chicago celebrated the 10th anniversary of its Center in Delhi December 13, and the many collaborations, relationships and scientific research that has nurtured. The University marked the occasion by celebrating the India launch of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth 

A December 14, press release from the University said the Delhi branch will focus on bringing “Ideas to Impact” for the next ten years and beyond, while strengthening its partnerships under the framework of the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET).

The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth will balance the urgency of climate action with society’s need for sustainable growth, the University said.

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The headquarters of the ICSG was launched by the University earlier on October 30 in Chicago. UChicago describes it as “a groundbreaking new effort” that aims to leverage UChicago’s unique legacy and resources to balance the risks of a changing climate with the essential need for human progress and growth through cutting-edge research, trailblazing education, and international engagement.

“With its launch in India, the Institute will be a platform for UChicago scholars to work with local partners to conduct research,” the University said.

The Delhi branch’s initial focus will be on climate and sustainable growth economics and policy, energy technologies such as advanced battery development, and climate systems engineering.

This work builds on the University of Chicago Center in Delhi’s “robust history of fostering intellectual collaboration, research, and dialogue since its inception in 2014,” the press release said, adding, “The Center’s decade-long journey has established it as a cornerstone of UChicago’s commitment to India and South Asia.”
Reflecting on the Center as the hub for the University’s work in India, Faculty Director, UChicago Center in Delhi, and Professor in the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME), Supratik Guha, said, “As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the University of Chicago Center in Delhi, we reflect on a decade of impactful collaborations that have advanced critical areas such as the liberal arts, social policy, economics, medicine and, more recently, science and technology.”

Guha went on to say, “This milestone is not merely a celebration of past achievements but a springboard for the future. Leveraging the momentum of initiatives like the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), we aim to deepen our partnerships across academia, industry, and government to address the pressing challenges of our time…”

Currently, the Delhi branch works directly with government and industry partners in eleven states through more than two dozen projects, ranging from making improvements to India’s electricity markets and engineering sensors that monitor water pollution in real-time, to providing farmers with better weather forecasting to help them adapt and assisting in the formation of several emissions markets to reduce pollution .

Much of this work has been carried out by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago’s India team ( EPIC India ), which will be a key partner in the new Institute, the press release said.
“Families in India and around the world aspire for a better life, and inexpensive energy is key to the growth that unlocks it,” said Michael Greenstone, director of EPIC and the new Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth as well as the Milton Friedman Professor in Economics.

Attendees at the 10th Anniversary celebration event at the Delhi Center engaged key stakeholders, including academic partners, government officials, funding agencies, and alumni.

The event included keynote addresses by India’s Chief Economist, V. Anantha Nageswaran, and the Government of Odisha’s Chief Secretary, Manoj Ahuja.

It also included a fireside chat spotlighting the new Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth with Michael Greenstone and CEO of Tata Power Praveer Sinha that was moderated by the Institute’s Senior Advisor Bala Srinivasan.

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