Ulka Kelkar — CEO

I am an economist with 25 years' experience in climate change research, capacity building and outreach. I work on low-carbon development pathways and climate action in Indian states, cities, and businesses. I have served on several national and international committees including  the Think20 taskforce on clean energy and green transitions, an official engagement group of India’s G20 presidency; the fair share, equity, and justice working group of the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign; The Earthshot Prize expert advisory panel; the Government of India’s long term low emissions development strategy task group on transport; national committee for carbon neutral village awards; and science technology and innovation policy thematic group on energy, environment and climate change. Previously I worked as a consultant climate assessment specialist for the Asian Development Bank, and as a research fellow with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE). I enjoy working in inter-disciplinary teams, for instance, discussing climate model outputs with farmers or developing business models for disaster-proof housing with architects and bankers. I have conducted field research with rural communities in seven states of India using participatory methods and quantitative household surveys. I have used behavioural economics to understand what might motivate urban households to switch to renewable energy technologies. My policy contributions include the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) roadmap on climate change adaptation, the International Finance Corporation (IFC)’s projects on climate resilient housing in Bangladesh and Nepal, the National Strategy Study on clean development mechanism (CDM) in India, the industrial processes greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory for India’s first national communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the Maharashtra State Action Plan on Climate Change. I have successfully applied for research grants and coordinated large inter-disciplinary teams for projects funded by the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, International Finance Corporation, Government of Norway, Government of India, and Canadian International Development Agency. My research has been published in international journals like Global Environmental Change, Climate Policy, Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, and Annual Review of Environment and Resources.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a Climate Change and Environmental Economics expert with extensive policy and research experience.

Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Experience: 26 yrs