India has set ambitious climate targets for 2030, which include reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45%, reducing carbon emissions by one billion tons, and achieving net-zero status by 2070. However, the country faces significant climate threats that could hinder progress in critical sectors like agriculture, public health, water resources, and infrastructure. Mainstreaming climate resilience into economic planning and decision-making is essential to mitigate these risks and foster sustainable development.

To mainstream climate resilience and mitigate risks, civil servants must play a key policy implementation role. However, in India, civil servants often lack the comprehensive training necessary to integrate climate resilience into their work. Without sufficient knowledge and skills, their capacity to incorporate climate considerations into governance, planning, and development is limited, delaying India’s progress towards its climate targets.

“Civil servants’ expertise directly influences the efficacy of climate initiatives across ministries and sectors. Ensuring that every official is informed and equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to drive climate action will accelerate India’s journey towards its climate goals for 2030 and 2070,” explains Jagjeet Sareen, Partner, Dalberg Advisors.

To address this gap, Dalberg, in collaboration with the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) and the Capacity Building Commission, developed three comprehensive climate training programs for India’s civil servants. These programs aim to equip around 5 million officials with the knowledge needed to drive climate action. They were designed in consultation with an expert advisory panel comprising climate experts from academia, the government, and the multilateral sector.

Placing climate considerations at the forefront of planning and implementation work, the first module serves as the foundation for understanding climate change, covering the intricacies of climate science, climate action and climate commitments. Another module explores the intersection of governance and urban development, including the climate roles of different ministries, sectoral challenges and regulatory frameworks that can guide climate action. The third module delves into the intersection of health and climate change, providing insights and solutions to strengthen health systems through a climate lens.

Tailored to India’s environmental challenges and regional nuances, these courses feed into Mission Karmayogi, India’s National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building.  With the recorded modules uploaded on the portal, the courses serve as a long-term training initiative for current and future civil servants.

Dalberg’s work has created positive evidence towards the fact that comprehensive, application-oriented learning modules can significantly enhance the capacity of civil servants to integrate climate considerations into their governance practices, emphasizing the importance of contextualized and interactive training in building climate resilience.”

Jagjeet Singh Sareen

Partner, Dalberg Advisors