Exploring heat-related research opportunities with SFC

In this short interview, the Sustainable Futures Collaborative (SFC) gives an overview of ongoing research on heat, identifies heat-related opportunities and priority areas for funders, outlines the support research actors need, and shares learnings for the ecosystem. 

 

 

 

Could you take us through your research approach to heat? What are the gaps in research, and how are focusing on addressing them?

 

SFC’s approach to heat is anchored in our belief in the need to build effective institutions to drive policy change. We do this by identifying structural and actionable gaps in India’s policy and institutional response to extreme heat. Our research is grounded in the belief that bridging these gaps can improve health and well-being in the long-term, especially for the most vulnerable populations. 

 

We focus on three key areas: 

 

• Strengthening the national framework for long-term heatwave resilience by supporting institutions like the National Disaster Management Authority to develop the National Heatwave Mitigation and Management Framework, identifying pathways to fund heat solutions at the local level and strengthening implementation mechanisms. 
• Assessing implementation on the ground by conducting India’s first systematic, multi-city study of heat action plan implementation in nine of the most at-risk cities for future heat, covering 11% of the urban population. 
• Driving our understanding of heat-health impacts by supporting the generation of India-specific epidemiological evidence on heat-related mortality and the synergistic impact of air pollution and heat. 

 

Our work aims to shift policy discourse from short-term, reactive solutions to long-term, anticipatory resilience with the goal of preparing India for a much hotter future. 

 

 

 

What role does SFC intend to play in India’s climate ecosystem? Could you give us examples of the impact of this work?

 

Our work on heat aims to push conversation and policy action towards long-term systems thinking. We do this by analysing and building systems and frameworks that enable more localised, context-driven heat planning in India. Our analysis of Heat Action Plans (HAPs) brought attention to the need for improved planning and paved the way for a new generation of HAPs more suited to local contexts and needs. Through our engagement with civil society organisations and government functionaries, via informal conversations and training sessions, we have worked to pivot the conversation towards long-term actions aided by appropriate financing mechanisms. This work strengthens India’s ability to adapt proactively to a changing climate. 

 

 

“The urgency to act on extreme heat is clear - but action must be guided by research, grounded in collaboration, and aimed at building long-term resilience. Protecting the most vulnerable demands that governments, civil society, and the private sector come together now to create systems that can withstand a hotter, more uncertain future.”

       – Sustainable Futures Collaborative

 

 

 

Any examples of fundable opportunities or priority areas in India’s research ecosystem?

 

India has started to experience a new lived reality, with the impacts of a warming world increasingly visible across the economy and human health. Cities, however, have not been designed with climate resilience as their foundation - even as they grapple with heat, air pollution, and urban flooding. With rapid urbanisation and a new tier of cities emerging, philanthropists must come together to foster a new imagination for urban resilience. Critical areas include:  

 

• Urban cooling transitions: How can we retrofit cities with passive cooling, green infrastructure, and enhance equitable access to active cooling for the most vulnerable? 
• Implementation intelligence: What new knowledge do we need to drive targeted implementation? How can we translate plans into action? Our city-level diagnostics help funders and governments identify where to intervene - whether through identifying vulnerable groups, augmenting municipal capacity, mapping financing, or effective inter-agency coordination. 
• Testing and scaling solutions: What solutions are equitable, effective, and cost-efficient for government implementers to adopt? 

 

 

 

Why should philanthropists and the private sector pay attention to such research? Which areas need more attention and more funding?

 

Extreme heat is not a distant climate risk - it’s here, now, and accelerating. It will not only impact human health, but also disrupt labour markets and industries, with significant consequences for the broader economy. Yet our systems remain underprepared. Philanthropic investment in evidence generation, innovation, and implementation can fill urgent gaps. Funders must also engage private sector players - especially in manufacturing and labour-intensive industries - to help design workplace standards that protect both products and people in a hotter world. 

 

 

 

What support can philanthropists offer organisations like yours? Any other support needed from the ecosystem?

 

• Unrestricted grants allow organisations like ours to explore frontier issues that aren’t currently on the policy landscape. Such financing allowed us to start and expand our work on heat over the last three years to a place where we are now able to drive real change across the ecosystem of actors.  
• Philanthropy can also bring together actors at all levels enabling bi-directional learning. Understanding what works at a grassroots level is as fundamental as figuring out nuances of national policy. Platforms of grantees can also open up new conversations on the engagement of CSOs with the policy ecosystem.  

 

 

 

Any learnings or insights from your research that you would like to share with funders and the ecosystem?

 

There is a growing appetite within some government departments to act on heat, whether by adopting scientifically-driven solutions or exploring innovative social welfare measures. However, they often lack flexible funding and technical partnerships to innovate effectively. Our experience shows that timely, well-communicated research can unlock new windows for action - especially when reinforced by strong civil society collaboration. The ecosystem must move quickly, share learnings widely, and support organisations that can bridge research, policy, and on-ground action. We are optimistic about the momentum building and invite funders to help capitalise on this opportunity. 

 

 

 

About SFC 

 

SFC is an independent research organisation analysing frontier issues in climate change, energy, and the environment. We focus on the systemic changes required for India’s transition to a sustainable, just, and resilient economy and society. In these areas, we identify upstream policy levers that, when activated, can drive downstream impact at scale. 

 

Links to some of SFC’s work on heat:  

 

• Is India Ready for a Warming World? How Heat Resilience Measures Are Being Implemented for 11% of India’s Urban Population in Some of Its Most At-Risk Cities - Sustainable Futures Collaborative 
• Synergistic associations of ambient air pollution and heat on daily mortality in India - ScienceDirect 
• Impact of heatwaves on all-cause mortality in India: A comprehensive multi-city study - ScienceDirect 
• Guest post: Why action on extreme heat in Indian cities is falling short - Carbon Brief 
• Heatwaves are coming. Can India handle it? | The Indian Express