As our fractious and dysfunctional world gets ready to go to the 27th meeting of the parties to the climate convention (COP27) and as extreme weather events spiral out of control and take down lives and properties, it is clear that we need to act urgently.

It is equally clear that this “action” is not happening, certainly not at the scale or pace needed. But more on this another time.

This time I want to discuss the option for decarbonising India’s iron and steel sector. My colleagues at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) say it is possible to bring down carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions drastically by 2030 while tripling India’s output of steel; we can emit even less than what we do today. But it will need planning, technology and funds.

The fact is countries like India need to grow and develop, and this at a time when the world is running out of carbon budget to stay below the guardrail of 1.5 degree Celsius temperature rise. So, this growth can, and must, be low in carbon.

How do we ensure the double benefits of reduced emissions and growth?