SDG 13: Climate Action

1Climate research and innovation

UPES research tackles both sides of climate change: cutting emissions through clean energy and helping mountain communities adapt to floods, landslides and water stress.

The figures below cover UPES research publications on climate action from 2021 to 2025 (source: Scopus, October 2026).

What the research covers

Number of 2021–2025 papers on each theme (a paper can appear under more than one).

Most cited climate work

1. Biofuel production from microalgae: challenges and chances (Phytochemistry Reviews, 2023), cited 261 times.
2. Biochar application for greenhouse gas mitigation, contaminants immobilization and soil fertility enhancement: A state-of-the-art review (Science of the Total Environment, 2022), cited 253 times.
3. Comprehensive review on effect of dust on solar photovoltaic system and mitigation techniques (Solar Energy, 2019), cited 238 times.
4. Critical review of biochemical pathways to transformation of waste and biomass into bioenergy (Bioresource Technology, 2023), cited 230 times.
5. Production and modifications of biochar to engineered materials and its application for environmental sustainability: a review (Biochar, 2024), cited 185 times.

The full list of 742 publications since 2007, with links, is on the climate research publications page (also available as a spreadsheet).

Research spotlights

Batteries that work at –40°C

The first DRDO-funded project awarded to a private university, led by UPES with IIT Roorkee and NIT Rourkela, is developing battery storage, thermal management and smart inverters so solar microgrids keep running in places like Ladakh and Siachen.

UPES blog

Early warning for the Himalaya

A HILL project uses wireless sensor networks to track rainfall, soil moisture and ground movement in real time, so remote areas get early warning of flash floods and landslides and can plan evacuations and road closures.

Himalayan Fellowship 2025 (PDF)

Water security in a warming climate

With French institutions, HILL is working on water quality and availability under climate change, and is building a simple solar thermal water purifier for villages in hilly terrain.

UPES blog

Waste into clean energy

A microalgae plant led by Prof Bhawna Yadav Lamba treats sewage and turns the algae and sludge into bio-oil, biogas and bio-fertiliser.

UPES blog

Climate economics, policy and law

• CEESS. The Centre for Energy, Environment and Sustainability Studies researches carbon pricing, renewable energy markets, sustainable trade, climate change economics and policy, and the energy transition.
• Climate law. In September 2024 the School of Law, with the Uttarakhand Forest Department and Pollution Control Board, hosted an international conference on environmental sustainability and energy law, with participants from 66 Indian and 6 international institutions discussing climate law, renewable energy regulation and climate justice.
• Wider research. UPES also works on solar photovoltaics, rural electrification, carbon capture, algae biofuels and climate-risk assessment.

Patents and intellectual property

UPES holds 2,314+ intellectual property rights, including 813 patents (139 granted), 943 designs and 558 copyrights (December 2025). Mapped against the Sustainable Development Goals, Climate Action is the fifth-largest area of the portfolio.

2Cutting emissions on campus

UPES has measured its carbon footprint and is cutting it through solar power, efficiency, electric mobility and greener buildings.

• A plan with targets. The RISE Centre's Climate Action Plan sets a 2024–25 baseline, interim targets, a Green Dashboard to report progress and a Climate Action Task Force to oversee it.
• Tracking low-carbon energy. UPES measures its low-carbon energy use by metering the generation of its on-campus solar plant against the university's total electricity consumption. Its ISO 14064-1 greenhouse gas inventory tracks grid electricity, diesel, LPG, vehicles, refrigerants and air travel, and the Climate Action Plan is published openly so that local government and community groups can see it.
• Clean power. A 100 kW solar plant with battery storage meets about 8% of campus electricity demand and doubles as a training facility, alongside 61,500 litres of solar water heating and a student-built solar tree.
• Using less. LED lighting across campus, a unity power factor at substations, and building management systems that monitor air conditioning and other equipment.
• Electric mobility. Students built U-BAHN, an electric campus shuttle with an 85 Ah battery and IoT tracking, and a solar-charged e-bike that reaches 30–35 km/h with a range of 70–80 km.
• Greener buildings. New buildings use energy-efficient materials and natural ventilation, and students have designed climate-responsive hostels with passive cooling and solar shading.
• A living lab. UPES is turning its campus into a Sustainability Living Lab where students learn from the systems around them, and plants trees on campus and in nearby communities.

3Climate education for every student

UPES makes sure every student learns about climate change, and trains specialists for the energy transition.

• For everyone. The School for Life includes a four-credit Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change course with a Living Lab, taken by students across arts and sciences, engineering, law and management, plus learning on sustainable development and climate justice.
• Specialist degrees. M.Tech Renewable Energy, B.Tech Clean Energy Technologies, MBA Power Management (Transition to Sustainability) and BBA Green Energy and Sustainability.
• Skills and certificates. The Health, Safety and Environment department runs workshops and certifications in environmental auditing, climate risk assessment and disaster management.
• ATMOSFAIR. Each September, around World Ozone Day, the student GreenUp club runs ATMOSFAIR. Its 2020 national webinar on climate change, risk resilience and livelihoods was opened by Padma Bhushan Dr Anil Prakash Joshi of HESCO, with scientists from the Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology and the Wildlife Institute of India.
• Learning by doing. Students have made edible cutlery and zero-waste products, presented climate solutions at the Sustainability Fair, and planted trees in the hills through Project Vriksh.

Climate learning beyond the classroom

• Forest officers. The School of Law delivered 40 lectures to Indian Forest Service probationers (2023–2025 batch) at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Dehradun, in two modules in November 2024 and May–June 2025, on environmental law, governance and climate change strategy.
• Hands-on environmental technology. With the Uttarakhand Science Education and Research Centre (USERC), the Sustainability Cluster ran a three-day hands-on training programme on environmental technology.
• Wildfires. A Sustainability Cluster lecture on 20 July 2023 explained the dynamic behaviour of wildfires, a growing climate hazard in the Himalaya.
• Applied sustainability. Prof Corey Glickman, a World Economic Forum expert, led a workshop on using AI and machine learning to speed up sustainability initiatives and on collaboration between academia, industry and government.
• Open masterclasses and summits. A climate risk profiling masterclass (18 March 2025), Sustainability Fair 3.0 (9–10 April 2025) and Energy Summit 2025, which drew more than 175 Dehradun school students, cover climate risks, adaptation planning and mitigation.

4Resilience to climate hazards

In a region exposed to floods, landslides, forest fires and glacial lake bursts, UPES prepares its own community and helps others become more resilient.

• A prepared campus. Climate risks shape campus planning and drainage, and regular fire and earthquake drills and safety training prepare students and staff.
• Himalayan communities. HILL works on disaster management for forest fires, landslides, flash floods, avalanches, earthquakes and glacial lake outburst floods, and on community capacity and climate-resilient enterprise.
• Community Resilience Resource Centres. UPES is an implementing and knowledge partner in this DST–UNDP programme, using science and technology to help communities recover from shocks. Related work includes Project Sakhi, which teaches rural women digital and business skills, Project Eklavya, which mentors underserved young people through technology, and Project Ayushman, which brings telemedicine to remote communities.
• Advising the state on disaster risk. In December 2025 the School of Law, with the SDC Foundation and the Society for Constitutional Law and Human Rights, released "Uttarakhand on Edge: UDAAI's Monsoon Report 2025", documenting 13 major disasters and recommending glacial-lake monitoring, better early warning and a unified Himalayan resilience policy to the Government of Uttarakhand.
• Working with NGOs on adaptation. HILL was set up jointly with the NGO HESCO and works on landslide early warning and climate-resilient livelihoods, and Himalaya Calling 2025 led to MoUs with seven national and international NGOs on climate resilience.
• At the United Nations. In May 2023 Prof Neelu Jyothi Ahuja presented UPES's work on these centres at the UN Science, Technology and Innovation Forum.

5Partnerships and policy

UPES works with government, international bodies, industry and communities on climate action.

• State
• National
• International

• Uttarakhand's Energy Action Plan. In May 2022 UPES hosted a workshop for state officials and partners including GIZ, TCE and UPCL on the Multisectoral Energy Action Plan of Uttarakhand, with UPES faculty advising on routes to lower the state's carbon emissions.
• Himalaya Calling 2025. HILL's three-day global summit in September 2025 brought together more than 128 speakers, 1,600 delegates and 700 students on climate resilience, ESG, food security and indigenous knowledge, and led to MoUs with seven national and international NGOs.
• Energy Summit. The annual summit, held since 2022, brings experts, industry and policymakers together on renewables, storage, hydrogen, smart grids and carbon capture.
• ESG skills for business. The RISE Centre and Mahindra University train professionals in climate-smart business models, corporate carbon footprints, sustainable finance and net-zero strategy.
• Clean livelihoods. Project Artisan helps women weavers in Ladakh work with solar-powered looms and natural dyes.

Events and activities

20 events from UPES schools and departments support this goal. Each links to the original LinkedIn post.

School of Advanced Engineering · Sustainability Cluster · 20 July 2023

Understanding the dynamic behaviour of wildfires

A lecture on wildfires as a source of socio-hydrological extremes.

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School of Advanced Engineering · Sustainability Cluster

Hands-on training in environmental technology with USERC

A three-day training programme run with the Uttarakhand Science Education and Research Centre.

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School of Advanced Engineering

Sustainability Fair 3.0 at UPES School of Advanced Engineering was a celebration of ideas, innovation, and…

Sustainability Fair 3.0 at UPES School of Advanced Engineering was a celebration of ideas, innovation, and collective responsibility. Over two days, the event brought…

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School of Advanced Engineering

UPES Doctoral Scholar Engages in Global Dialogue on Nanomaterials Research in Paris

KAMAL KUMAR (CSIR–SRF), a doctoral scholar from the Department of #Physics, School of Advanced Engineering, participated in the 2nd International Conference on…

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School of Advanced Engineering · 11–12 November 2025

Bridging Research and Innovation | Energy Summit 2025

The School of Advanced Engineering, UPES, proudly presents the 4th Edition of the Energy Summit – #International #Conference on #Sustainable and #Affordable #Energy…

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School of Business

Fueling the Future: Insights on Challenges in Petro Retailing

The petroleum retail sector in India is at a turning point, balancing rapid growth with intense competition. To help our students gain real-world exposure, the UPES…

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School of Business

Empower. Innovate. Sustain.

At UPES School of Business, we had the privilege of hosting an inspiring Masterclass with Prof. Cynthia Caron from Clark University, exploring the critical role of…

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School of Business · 18th March 2025

Masterclass Alert!

Join us for an engaging session on: “Climate Risk Profiling and Adaptation Planning for the (once) USAID" Date: 18th March 2025 Time: 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Venue: School…

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School of Business

SAKSHAM 2026

Powering Responsible Leadership in Energy The School of Business, UPES, reaffirmed its commitment to shaping future-ready leaders in the energy domain by hosting…

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School of Business

Knowledge Session on Challenges in Petro Retailing

Fueling the Future: Insights on Challenges in Petro Retailing The petroleum retail sector in India is at a turning point, balancing rapid growth with intense…

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School of Business

Youth Consultation for Viksit Uttarakhand 2047 | Advancing Thought Leadership at UPES SOB

UPES School of Business, in collaboration with the Centre for Public Policy and Good Governance (CPPGG), hosted the Youth Consultation for #Viksit Uttarakhand Vision…

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School of Business

Powering Responsible Leadership in Energy

The School of Business, UPES, reaffirmed its commitment to shaping future-ready leaders in the energy domain by hosting SAKSHAM 2026 - an annual initiative dedicated…

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School of Computer Science

UDBHAV 2025

UPES hosted Udbhav 2025 Level II, the State-Level Hackathon under the Uttarakhand AI Mission, bringing together innovators from 25+ institutes across the state.…

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School of Design

Where Design Meets Legacy: A #Masterclass to Remember

At UPES School of Design, creativity doesn’t stay confined to classrooms — it grows through shared passions, meaningful conversations, and lifelong connections. We…

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School of Law · November 2024 and May–June 2025

40 lectures for IFS probationers at IGNFA

Expert-led sessions on environmental law, governance, emerging technologies and climate change strategy for the 2023–2025 Indian Forest Service batch.

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School of Law

The School of Law, UPES, is proud to share that four of its law students presented their research papers…

The School of Law, UPES, is proud to share that four of its law students presented their research papers at the Second Edition of the International Conference on…

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School of Law · 23 July 2025

Contemporary International Trade and Changing Global Legal Order

The Law and Social Sciences Cluster at UPES School of Law hosted the second event under its #International #Law and #Politics in Review series, bringing together…

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School of Law

We had the privilege of hosting Mr. Mayank Bhardwaj (VP - Legal, Hexa Climate) and Mr. Arpit Jain (Chief…

We had the privilege of hosting Mr. Mayank Bhardwaj (VP - Legal, Hexa Climate) and Mr. Arpit Jain (Chief of Staff, Hexa Climate) for an engaging interaction with…

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School of Law · 16th September 2024

The School of Law, UPES, was thrilled to host an impactful event on 16th September 2024 to raise awareness…

The School of Law, UPES, was thrilled to host an impactful event on 16th September 2024 to raise awareness about the vital importance of protecting our ozone layer!…

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UPES

Workshop on applied sustainability with Prof Corey Glickman

How AI and machine learning can accelerate sustainability, and why academia, industry and government must work together.

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See all UPES events mapped to the SDGs

All sources

Every website and document used in this report, and the sections it supports.