ClimaTales Archive
A series highlighting the pioneers who shaped sustainability
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The IT Giant That Reached Carbon Neutrality Before the World Expected!
In 2020, while global tech companies were still drafting glossy ‘net-zero by 2040’ pledges, an Indian IT firm quietly crossed the finish line…
How Asian Paints became India’s first Water-Positive paint company?
Asian Paints, one of India’s largest industrial players, achieved something many water-intensive sectors still consider impossible: becoming…
India’s first corporate green hydrogen microgrid project!
In 2021, NTPC Limited, India’s largest integrated energy company, was awarded the project of ‘Standalone Fuel-Cell based Micro-grid…
Ever walked into an airport and felt like a step into nature?
Bangalore International Airport Ltd Terminal 2 is exactly that: India’s first airport built around a forest, not instead of one.
When a Mining Giant Tops the World in Sustainability!
Recently, Hindustan Zinc, one of the world’s largest zinc producers of India, achieved what few would have imagined for a mining company: the No…
How a Bell Labs experiment in 1954 sparked the solar revolution.
At Bell Labs, a small team of scientists – Calvin Fuller, Gerald Pearson, and Daryl Chapin were tinkering with semiconductors, trying to power telephone relays…
Remembering Jane Goodall, the woman who redefined our…
Long before “biodiversity” became a global priority, a young woman walked into the forests of Tanzania with a notebook and a question: what if animals…
What does it take to build India’s first net-zero city?
In 2025, Telangana’s CM unveiled a vision that goes beyond skylines and smart infrastructure. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy announced…
What happens when an ancient temple becomes a solar pioneer?
In 2023, the 7th-century UNESCO-listed Shore Temple in Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, became India’s first Green Energy Archaeological Site…
Can a debit card really help cut carbon emissions?
Most of us swipe or tap without a second thought. But what if each tap reduced carbon emissions? That’s the idea behind Airtel Payments Bank…
💸 A debt bond with climate targets
For decades, debt bonds were characterised by two key factors: risk and return. But the climate crisis has added a third dimension—sustainability.That’s the logic behind ESG-linked bonds. Miss your
What does it mean when a diamond maker goes carbon neutral?
In 2021, something quietly noteworthy happened in India’s luxury sector. SHAIRU GEMS DIAMONDS PRIVATE LIMITED, a leading diamond cutting..
What does it take for a village to go carbon neutral?
In 2022, a small village in Jammu & Kashmir quietly rewrote India’s sustainability map. Palli became the country’s first carbon-neutral village, not through…
The first power exchange company to go carbon neutral in India
In 2022, something quietly remarkable happened in India’s energy story. The Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) —a platform where electricity is bought…
The Company that put a price on its own emissions
In 2016, Mahindra became the first Indian company to introduce an internal carbon price, putting a self-imposed cost of $10 per tonne of CO₂ on…
First country in the world to introduce a carbon tax
However, one Nordic nation identified the threat and translated a theoretical framework into policy action. Finland became the first country in the world…
The superhero who lost his home to climate change
We all know Superman as the superhero who saves Earth from danger. But few people realise… Superman’s own planet was destroyed…
The adventure-loving economist who proposed the Carbon tax
Some hundred years ago, during the Industrial Revolution, when environmental damage was considered an unfortunate side effect of…
The mining businessman who became the Birdman of India
In the 1930s, when biodiversity documentation was rare, Sálim Ali, the doyen of Indian ornithology and naturalist conducted the first systematic…
World’s 1st tiger conservation project that saved the big cat from extinction
In the 1970s, the tiger, India’s iconic symbol of wildlife was vanishing. Rampant poaching, shrinking forests, and increasing…
The first Indian state to use biodegradable milk packets
An average Indian city generates approximately 690 tonnes of plastic waste daily. A significant contributor to this…
The airport that generates Zero waste
When we think of magnanimous infrastructure like airports, we generally do not expect them to be eco-friendly or sustainable. But the Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport in Indore is an exception…
Remembering the young hero who fought for the Great Indian Bustard
Born into Rajasthan’s Bishnoi community—known for its deep reverence for nature—Radheshyam Bishnoi dedicated…
The man who taught India to raise its voice for the environment
Most of us know the great Indian environmentalist Shri Sundar Lal Bahuguna as the pioneer of the Chipko movement…
The first sports league to count its carbon footprint!
At the vibrant crossroads of cricket, entertainment, and mass fandom sits the Indian Premier League India (IPL)…
The homework that changed the course of wind energy
It all started as a regular homework given by her professor, when Divya Tyagi, a Penn State College of Engineering student, solved…
The Anime show that warned us about urbanisation!
The globally popular Japanese anime show Pokémon, Catch ’em all! is known for its adventures, comedy…
The Pope who believed in climate change.
In 2015, Pope Francis made history by officially calling for united global action on climate change, months before the Paris Agreement…
The corporate that pioneered India’s Sustainability Reporting 20+ yrs ago!
A long time ago, when sustainability and social responsibility were only textbook terms, there was one corporation that made sure…
The first bank to make a climate commitment
ING has just become the first global systemically important bank to have its financed emissions reduction targets validated by the…
Ancient India laid conservation and wildlife protection laws 2260…
In the 3rd century B.C., Emperor Ashoka, after witnessing the horrors of war, turned to Buddhism and introduced edicts that safeguarded…
The first Indian bank to align with climate financing!
In 2024, Union Bank of India became the first major Indian bank to join the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF)…
The Roman City that invented recycling!
Pompeii, the city immortalized by Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 AD, has unveiled a pioneering secret beneath its ashes. Archaeologists have discovered that the extensive mounds of rubbish…
The flower that once added colour to Holi!
Before synthetic colours took over, Holi was painted with nature’s own palette! The vibrant hues of Palash (Tesu) flowers were once at the heart of the festival…
The Chinese city that waged a war against air pollution!
Back in 2013, Beijing was among the world’s most polluted cities, with sky-high PM2.5 levels. Today, residents breathe cleaner air…
India’s first company to adopt its first sustainability report – BRSR!!
Tata Consultancy Services led the way in ESG reporting by becoming the first company to publish India’s first Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report…
The ancient seed preservation method saving displaced tribal families!
The Muria tribe from Chattisgarh are known to practice Deda- a traditional seed preservation technique handed down by their ancestors…
The man behind the popular Van Mahotsav!
Post-independence, India faced severe deforestation due to rapid urbanisation. K.M. Munshi, former Union Minister of Food…
The first Indian airline to start ESG reporting!
With aviation being a major contributor to global emissions, it was crucial for airlines to focus on cutting their carbon footprint…
How an oil spill made Rabindranath Tagore reflect on man’s impact on nature.
Long before the global conversation on sustainability began, Rabindranath Tagore voiced the importance of balancing progress…
India’s first company to set an SBTi target!
Mahindra Sanyo Special Steel marked a landmark event in 2018, in the history of climate action in India, by being the…
The world’s first carbon trading desk!
Renowned British multinational bank, Barclays, set up the world’s first carbon trading desk in 2005. However, the move proved…
Introducing an all-new series #Climatales to highlight the
A visionary leader, former US President Jimmy Carter pointed to the importance of solar energy in his 1980 budget…