This briefing aims to provide an overview of InfluenceMap's method of assessing corporate climate policy engagement in India.
The briefing finds that, similar to many other countries, the Indian corporate sector is actively engaged on climate policy, using all the channels noted in the UN 2013 Guide for Responsible Corporate Engagement in Climate Policy. These include frequent meetings with government representatives, funding and publicizing research on policy issues, submission of policy recommendations to government departments, and the use of news media as well as social media to promote its policy positions.
To assess corporate and industry engagement with such policy streams, InfluenceMap deploys independent and authoritative benchmarks which reflect stated government ambition and Science-Based Policy (SBP) for delivering on the goals of the Paris Agreement. InfluenceMap recognizes the Paris Agreement’s provisions for ‘Common But Differentiated Responsibilities’ and has adapted its benchmarks to fairly assess climate policy engagement in countries with different economic needs and requirements, referencing Chapter 5 of the 2018 Special Report, titled ‘Sustainable Development, Poverty Eradication and Reducing Inequalities’. For example, India is assessed using benchmarks that take into account the need for wealth and technology transfer from higher income countries, as well as the need to address systemic barriers to policy implementation as a precondition for introducing ambitious climate measures.
For an example of how InfluenceMap has applied this method to the Indian corporate sector, please see our March 2024 analysis of Automakers' Engagement with Climate Policy in India here.
If you are an expert in or practitioner active on topics relevant to corporate climate policy engagement in India, and you wish to engage InfluenceMap with your feedback on this briefing, please contact vivek.parekh@influencemap.org