A recent survey study, by HSBC’s Climate Partnership , noted that nearly 45%of people surveyed in India view climate change as a higher priority than economic turmoil. Furthermore, the study also revealed that 42% of Indians are looking to the government  to take a lead in climate policies. Having noted before that India’s diverse topography and demography makes centralized decision making on environmental issues difficult- the role of state governments deserves some evaluation.Often in tension with the central government which has much of the resources, state governments must work under central government directives but also protect regional interests which often include valuable natural resources. In India, central-state government relations are difficult in terms of environmental policy as certain resources are jointly managed (forests) by both levels, complicating swift, effective management/governance of such valuable resources. On the other hand, resources such as waterways fall mainly under state jurisdiction and seek centralized oversight to mitigate state -to-state conflicts.

In a report titled, “Green India Standards” published by the Institute of Financial Management and Research, Indian states were evaluated on an Environment Sustainability Index based on performance based indicators covering components such as environmental stress, environmental governance, and population pressure. Overall, only a handful of India’s 28 Indian states achieved a high ESI ranking. As climate concerns become more visible to its citizenry and the global economic advantages of turning ‘green’ become solidified, Indian states will be more likely to engage in their own climate policies.

Already, current activities seem to support some of IFMR’s evaluations. Recently, the state of Himachal Pradesh in northeast India- facing visible climate pressures given such close proximity to the Himalayas and its receding glaciers, proposed its own national environmental policy. With the assistance of the World Bank, Himachal Pradesh’s state plan is said to include policy mechanisms such as payment of ecosystem services (PES) and carbon credit marks to generate ‘green’ growth in line with India’s national policy. In the state of TamilNadu, in the past two years, efforts by forest ministry have increased forest cover  within the state.

State initiatives are a welcoming and perhaps promising path for India in climate issues as state governments are more in tune with regional contexts in terms of resources, impacts, and stakeholder issues. In addition, growing awareness of and concern over climate change impacts among Indian citizens is also a positive sign in terms of policy making in India. Perhaps with a more localized approach and understanding of problems will also generate unique solutions for India.

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