Keeping in view the importance of climate change issues for a developing country like India, Jadavpur University has launched a research programme in 2001 to provide scientists, professionals particularly in government, industry and the like, with an in depth understanding of the ‘global change’ that goes beyond climate change only and its impact on various sectors. The whole programme is oriented to generate reliable information to help policy making and its implementation and focuses on studies on human dimensions and help in capacity building.
Uniqueness of the Programme
In India for the first time such a multidisciplinary comprehensive effort in the area of global change related issues has been taken up at the university level. The basic background material comes from intensive and extensive research but targeted at direct implementation for international negotiation and national policy formulation and implementation. The stronger point of this programme is the focus on studies on human dimensions and economic assessment of impact on the society at large.
The programme has been providing research expert service to IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), Millennium Assessment Report (2005), Stern Review Report (2006), and Global Energy Assessment of IIASA (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis). The research centre is also working with the Ministry of Environment and Forest towards the preparation of NATCOM (National Communication) for UNFCCC(United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ) and helps in capacity building within India and many developing countries .The centre has been recognized since the tenth Plan under UGC(University Grants Commission). At the state level Global Change Programme is involved in the preparation of a comprehensive report to ascertain the climate change impact, vulnerability and mitigation potential within the state of West Bengal.
Primary aim is capacity building through
1. Targeted research
2. Short Training Programmes targeted at researchers, policy makers and NGOs.
3. Teaching Programme: Appropriate module development
4. Outreach Activities.
5. Information Dissemination
Contact information
Coordinator: Professor Joyashree
Roy
188, Raja S C Mallik Road, Biren Roy Research Laboratory , First Floor
Outreach activities
Climate Smart Initiative: CSI@ GCP-JU
This is a new initiative since 2008-2009. We volunteer time to mentor youths from diverse backgrounds in a capacity-building program to carry forward the right messages; messages that are validated with our intensive research, quantification and is peer-reviewed. In the spirit of National Action Plan for climate Change we provide hands-on training to these future leaders to assist them in strategic information building and strategic enterprise building. In this way, we are realizing our vision to design, implement and take forward alternative development strategies, which will provide the requisite impetus for a sustainability transition in developing countries.
A few glorious examples from our treasure trove of dynamic young climate leaders:
a. Mentorship for Climate Smart Leaders
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CCL Indrila Guha is the reader of Economics Department, Vidyasagar College for Women. According to DIAM (Driver/Impact/Adaptation/Mitigation) Framework, set by GCP- JU, Dr. Guha is leading a programme in Sagar Block of Sunderban to assess adaptation strategy and cost. She believes in the GCP spirit that the appropriate data and research oriented measurement will find out the solutions to the loss of human welfare of people in coastal region. |
| CCL Kallol Roy of ‘EMPATHY’ is a successful lawyer in the Barrckpore sub-division by profession. He started community sensitization programmes on environment and climate change issues started the awareness building programmes under the aegis of his charitable organization 'EMPATHY and now in DIAM Framework commits time for his grassroots initiatives to create mass awareness about the need for climate responsible development strategies |
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Ayan Sengupta- a final year economics undergraduate from Jadavpur University. He interned with Yamatake Corp. which is Japan's biggest environmental solution providing company as a part of a Student Exchange Programme between Jadavpur University and Momoyama Gakuin University, Japan. He is one of the British Council International Climate Champions from India for 2009-10 and has been selected as one of the four Climate Champions from India to attend the ICC 2009 workshop in Edinburgh from 22nd to 27th February, 2009.
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b. Mentorship for Climate Smart Entrepreneurs
Saptarshi Pal –a final year economics undergraduate from Jadavpur University. First Prize winner of the World Bank Essay Competition 2008; his presentation at the World Bank Annual Conference (Cape Town) was about his environmental initiatives in Kolkata. He was also invited to the World Leadership Conference, Pittsburgh, in October 2008 to present his research on sustainable business models. His business plan on eco-friendly Point-of-purchase display products won the first prize at Merrill Lynch NFTE National (India) Business Plan competition and he will be honoured as a top global budding entrepreneur at NFTE’s “Salute to the Entrepreneurial Spirit” Award Dinner in New York. He was also invited at the 12th World Business Dialogue, Cologne, to take part in a Green Business workshop.
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Mriganka Chatterjee –a dynamic young entrepreneur completed his MBA in 2004 and took the plunge into business to set up a plastic waste management company. His unit: HC Plastic is situated at Trenching Ground Road, Harinavi (South 24 Parganas) –set up under a MoU with Rajpur-Sonarpur Municipality. The unit uses the plastic waste (plastic bottles, bags among others) from the nearby Dumping Ground as its input converts it into small plastic granules. The unit has several sophisticated machines, air pollution control device and has clean hygienic working conditions.
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