Recent Current Affairs related to Climate

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, along with CM of Gujarat Bhupendrabhai Patel, has inaugurated the World Circular Economy Forum 2026 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. It is to be noted that this makes India the first South Asian nation to host the forum.

The event was organised by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in collaboration with Finland, under the theme “Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity”. During the inaugural session, two publications were released: “Best Practices for Reuse of Treated Sewage” and “Driving Sustainability - A Guide to India’s Circular Economy and EPR Initiatives”.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh has inaugurated a research facility named ‘SpeedSeed Phenotyping and Resource Optimization for Unified Trait Analysis (SPROUT)’ at the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council - National Institute of Plant Genome Research (BRIC-NIPGR) in New Delhi.

The facility initially focuses on chickpea crops and integrates genomics, genome editing, and phenotyping to accelerate trait validation and breeding efficiency. It is to be noted that SPROUT uses SpeedSeed technology to reduce crop cycles to a duration of 40 days.

Typhoon Dujuan has hit the eastern part of Japan, resulting in record-breaking precipitation and violent winds. The weather event has triggered severe flooding and landslides across the affected regions.

International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies

Day - September 7

Theme 2026 - “Clean Air for Climate Action”

Observed since - 2020

In India - Swachh Vayu Diwas

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Francisco P Tiu Laurel of Philippines have co-chaired the 9th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (9th AIMMAF) in New Delhi. The agenda of the 9th AIMMAF focused on climate-resilient farming, with a specific emphasis on implementing low-emission rice cultivation techniques.

The participants endorsed the “ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future” roadmap and the “ASEAN Food, Agriculture and Forestry Sectoral Plan 2026-2030” to ensure environmental safeguards and food safety in the region. A symbolic “Friendship Spike for Agriculture and Forestry” was also unveiled to commemorate the cooperation between the nations.

According to the report titled “Limiting Overshoot: Navigating exceedance of 1.5°C and pathways towards return” released by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the global warming threshold of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels is highly likely to be temporarily breached (overshot) within the next few years.

It states that under an optimistic scenario, global surface temperatures are projected to peak at 1.8°C above pre-industrial levels, whereas current global policies are expected to result in a 2.6°C increase by 2100.

India have signed a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) with Germany on the “Conservation and Wise Use of Wetlands of International Importance” during the 4th Indo-German Environment Forum (IGEF) held in New Delhi.

The forum was conducted under the theme “Together for More Resilience” to strengthen bilateral cooperation regarding environmental protection and climate resilience. It is to be noted that the IGEF was established in 2008 to facilitate environmental dialogue and partnership between the two nations.

The VO Chidambaranar (VOC) Port Authority in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, has become the first major port in India to achieve ‘Scope-2 emission-free’ status. The status was conferred by global certification body Bureau Veritas.

The port has also secured the ISO 50001:2018 certification for its Energy Management System, awarded by the Indian Register Quality Systems (IRQS).

According to the “Environmental Performance Index (EPI 2026)” released by the Yale University, India is ranked at 176th out of 177 countries with a score of 22.46.

Estonia is ranked first with a score of 74.7, followed by Luxembourg, the United Kingdom (UK), Finland, and the Netherlands. Laos is ranked lowest in the index with a score of 21.78.

The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), a unit of the ISRO, has signed an MoU with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT) to jointly develop indigenous technology for next-generation, environmentally sustainable blowing agents.

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has signed an MoU with Mahatma Phule Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Technology Ltd (MAHAPREIT) to jointly finance and promote green, climate-resilient, and sustainable infrastructure projects across rural India, with an initial focus on Maharashtra.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan unveiled the roadmap for 'Viksit Krishi and Samruddh Kisan' as a key pillar of 'Viksit Bharat 2047' during the 98th Foundation Day of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in New Delhi.

During the event, 43 new crop varieties, 17 technologies/products, and 14 publications were released, and over 70 MoUs were signed.

ICAR aims to establish 100 'Climate Smart Villages' before its centenary. Under 'Mission ICAR-100', Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) will be transformed, with each KVK mandated to cover at least 100 villages. Additionally, under the 'One Institute-One Grand Innovation' initiative, every ICAR institute is tasked to develop at least one transformational innovation within 2 years.

The India-led Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA) has launched its flagship Global Biofuel Champion Fellowship (GBCF) programme at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi.

The GBA has selected 15 early-career researchers from leading global universities and research institutions to serve as GBA Ambassadors for a tenure of 2 years. Each fellow will receive a research grant of $15,000. The selected cohort includes 2 researchers from India: Ruchi Agrawal from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), Delhi, and Abhishek Sahoo from the IIT Delhi.

Global wind day

Day - June 15

Theme 2026 - Our Wind, Our Community

Observed since - 2007

The World Economic Forum (WEF), in collaboration with Accenture, has released the “Energy Transition Index (ETI) 2026: Insight Report June 2026”. India is ranked 70th in the index with an overall score of 54.9.

Sweden topped the index with a score of 75.3, followed by Finland, Denmark, Estonia, and Norway. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is ranked last at 120th place.

The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) Pune has signed an MoU with the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) in Nainital to conduct collaborative research on climate change.

Under this MoU, a Climate Observation Station will be established at ARIES, Devasthal, as a part of the Bharat Climate Observation Network (BCON).

Vinai Kumar Saxena, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, has approved the formation of the ‘Snow Leopard and High-Altitude Nature’ (SHAN) Conservation Society to protect the endangered snow leopard and its habitat. This is the first initiative of its kind in the region.

It is to be noted that according to the ‘2024 Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India’, there are 718 snow leopards in the country, with 477 of them located in Ladakh.

India and Japan have adopted the 'Rules of Implementation' for the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement.

Announced by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), this initiative establishes the first operational framework for India to trade bilateral carbon credits to facilitate the achievement of global climate goals.

The Himachal Pradesh government has signed an MoU with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to promote climate-resilient development, environmental sustainability, biodiversity conservation, and inclusive growth in the state.

Additionally, CM Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has launched the ‘Safai Mitra Scheme’ to empower informal waste management workers.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has inaugurated India’s 7th Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Jammu. The centre will provide specialized weather, disaster, and climate services for Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh.

He also announced the upcoming establishment of an 8th RMC in Lucknow, which will manage services for Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.