CAG

Accelerating Adoption of Renewable Energy by Improving Stakeholder Participation

Project

Work area

Electricity Governance

Resource Type

Environmental Sustainability - Phase XI

Jan 2026 - Dec 2026

Tamil Nadu has emerged as a key site for climate action in India, with multiple institutions, policies, and programmes addressing mitigation, adaptation, and renewable energy transitions. However, climate action on the ground continues to be constrained by uneven institutional readiness, fragmented coordination across departments, and limited availability of credible, field-based evidence to inform planning and implementation. At the same time, decentralised renewable energy (DRE) solutions are expanding across the state, yet their social, livelihood, and access impacts remain poorly documented, weakening policy design and financing frameworks. Public engagement on climate issues also remains episodic, limiting citizen participation and accountability. This project responds to these interconnected gaps by strengthening institutional preparedness, grounding climate action in lived experience and evidence, and enabling sustained public engagement to support more coherent and inclusive climate governance in Tamil Nadu.

The project will adopt a systems-oriented, evidence-led approach that will integrate institutional assessment, field research, and public engagement. Institutional readiness for climate action will be assessed across key state departments to identify coordination gaps, capacity needs, and opportunities for alignment. In parallel, field-based case studies will document the socio-economic impacts of decentralised renewable energy adoption, generating grounded evidence on access, outcomes, and barriers faced by households and micro-enterprises. These findings will be synthesised into actionable policy, financing, and communication insights. Public engagement will be strengthened through Climate Action Month initiatives and a state-level conference, while a structured climate communication strategy, supported by a monitoring and evaluation framework, will enable consistent, evidence-informed climate messaging and coordination across institutions.

The project will contribute to the following outcomes:

Strengthened institutional readiness and coordination for climate action across key Tamil Nadu government departments.

Robust, field-based evidence on decentralised renewable energy access and impacts that will inform climate, energy, and financing policies.

Improved policy coherence and implementation clarity through actionable, evidence-driven recommendations.

Enhanced public awareness and participation in climate action through sustained engagement platforms.

A stronger foundation for inclusive and accountable climate governance, grounded in lived experience and aligned with long-term state climate priorities.

WAVE (Waste Attitudes & Vendor Engagement)

Chennai’s vending economy, spread across beaches, commercial corridors, and neighbourhood streets, will continue to be a significant contributor to everyday solid waste generation in the city. Beach vendors and street-side food sellers generate large volumes of organic waste, packaging material, and single-use plastics, much of which can enter drains, streets, and coastal environments when waste-handling practices and infrastructure are inadequate. While the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has strengthened conservancy operations and introduced organised vending zones in select areas, there remains limited systematic evidence on vendors’ knowledge, attitudes, and actual waste-handling behaviour across different urban contexts. In particular, the absence of a focused, comparative assessment of beach vendors and street-side food vendors limits the design of realistic, vendor-inclusive interventions. The WAVE project will address this gap by generating practical, location-specific evidence to support improved vendor-linked waste management in priority areas of Chennai.

The project will adopt a rapid, field-based Knowledge–Behaviour–Attitude (KBA) assessment to understand waste practices among selected beach and street-side food vendors in Chennai. It will cover strategically chosen coastal clusters, high-footfall street corridors, and neighbourhood vending areas. Structured KBA surveys will be administered to vendors to document their awareness of solid waste management rules, plastic ban provisions, and segregation norms. On-site behavioural observations will be conducted at each vendor location to assess actual waste-handling practices, including storage, segregation, bin use, and littering. In addition, simple waste audits will be carried out with a sub-sample of vendors to estimate the quantity and broad composition of waste generated. Quantitative and qualitative data will be analysed together to identify behavioural patterns, infrastructure gaps, and system constraints, and to develop low-cost, vendor-focused recommendations for GCC and partner agencies.

The project will generate an evidence-based understanding of how different categories of vendors contribute to waste generation in selected parts of Chennai. It will enable clearer identification of behavioural gaps, infrastructure deficiencies, and system-level constraints affecting vendor compliance with waste management norms. The findings will support the design of targeted awareness initiatives, practical enforcement approaches, and context-appropriate infrastructure improvements. Overall, the project will strengthen vendor-inclusive waste management planning, contribute to cleaner and safer public spaces, particularly in coastal and high-footfall areas and support more effective, data-driven solid waste management interventions by the city.

Awareness Session: Healthy Minds Healthy Future

Event Date

Address

Colloquium on reimagining climate communication: Inspiring action through innovation

Sat, 20/12/2025 - 12:15

Author

The Colloquium on Reimagining Climate Communication: Inspiring Action Through Innovation created a dynamic learning platform for students to explore how climate messages can inspire understanding and action. Through sessions on storytelling, digital media, indigenous knowledge, art, culture, and everyday behaviour, the event highlighted ethical, creative, and people-centred approaches to climate communication.

Licence type

Environmental Sustainability - Phase X

Project

Work area

Environment and Climate Action

Resource Type

Download

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims 2025 | Salem

Wed, 17/12/2025 - 15:35

Author

A commemorative program was held at the Government Industrial Training Institute, Salem, on Monday, 24 November 2025 at 10:30 a.m. as part of CAG’s events marking the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

The event began with a welcome address by Mr. J.M. Boopathi, Founder of the Consumer Rights Movement, who highlighted the importance of road safety awareness and collective responsibility in preventing accidents.

Licence type

Sustainable Transportation

Project

Road Safety- Phase IV

Work area

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims 2025 | Thiruvallur

Wed, 17/12/2025 - 15:30

Author

In commemoration of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (20.11.2025), an awareness programme was jointly organised by Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG) and Shelter Trust at Dr Ambedkar Government Law College.

The event was attended by Dr Kayalvizhi, Principal of Dr Ambedkar Government Law College, Chennai, Mr Neelakandan, trainer from Alert NGO, Mr Mohan from CAG, and Mr Selvam, social worker, and Mr Vishwa, volunteer, representing Shelter Trust.

Licence type

Sustainable Transportation

Project

Road Safety- Phase IV

Work area

Resource Type

Listening Workshop| RWA 14 | Parrys George Town

Wed, 17/12/2025 - 14:52

Author

Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG), in collaboration with Columbans Anglo Indian School, Parrys George Town, Chennai, organised a Rooftop Solar PV awareness workshop on Thursday, November 6, 2025 and Friday , November 7, 2025. The event took place from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, and was attended by 250 parents from the Surrounding area.

Overview of workshop held on November 6th

Licence type

Tamil Nadu Leadership in Energy Transition

Project

Work area

Electricity Governance

Resource Type