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Evolution of Institutions for Climate Policy in India
The growing focus on climate policy in India is not matched by an equivalent level of attention to institutions . Effective institutions are also needed for the design, coordination and implementation of policy. This paper examines the functioning of institutions, organised around three periods: pre-2007; 2007 to 2009 and 2010 to mid-2014. Several key themes emerge: First, the formation of climate institutions has often been ad hoc and is inadequately geared to India's co-benefits based approach to climate policy. Second, there is a lack of continuity in institutions, once established. Third, coordination across government has been uneven and episodic. Fourth, while various efforts at knowledge generation have been attempted, they do not add up to a mechanism for sustained and consistent strategic thinking on climate change. Fifth, the overall capacity within government remains limited. Sixth, capacity shortfalls are exacerbated by closed structures of governance that only partially draw on external expertise.
The authors are grateful to several interviewees who gave generously of their time and insights to this research. However, they are not responsible for any of the findings or opinions presented here. This work was carried out with the aid of a grant from the International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada. We are also grateful for additional financial support from the Oak Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland.