International Forum for Environment, Sustainability & Technology (iFOREST) is an independent non-profit environmental research and innovation organisation. Started by a group of renowned scientists and environmentalists, it seeks to find, promote and scale-up solutions for some of the most pressing environment–development challenges. It also endeavours to make environmental protection a peoples’ movement by informing and engaging the citizenry in important issues and programs.
Our Initiatives
Our initiatives and programmes address the fundamental problems of environment and development. They are designed to reflect the cross-sectoral nature of the issues and the integrated approach required for sustainable solutions.
The integrated approach is focussed on solutions for ensuring affordable and green energy, and a just transition away from the fossil-fuel economy. Improving energy efficiency and promoting innovative low-energy technologies is also a key focus of our work. Our research and engagement cuts across local, national as well as international levels to propose ideas and push for actions that are practical and collective.
Sustainable consumption and production lie at the heart of pollution and waste management. Our programmes focus on managing waste and pollution through better governance, improved capacity and smart and affordable technology. We also strongly focus on citizens’ awareness and engagement on lifestyle changes, as we believe change should begin at home.
India’s natural resources, if managed sustainably, have tremendous potential to strengthen the country’s economic base, reduce distress migration, protect ecologically sensitive areas, as well as deal with overarching issues of land degradation, water scarcity and climate change. We encourage a people-centric approach to achieve this building on the strength of our laws and technology to reach out to the grassroots.
Our green economy initiative focuses on engaging businesses, especially the financial sector, to mainstream environmental protection and climate change concerns in their decision-making processes. We undertake independent research on the environment and social performance of companies and provide data and information to understand the financial risks posed by environmental threats, including climate change. We also work on circular economy and promote green growth.
Citizens have a key role in catalysing change, both at the local and the global level. We seek to empower citizens with data, knowledge and tools to enable them to demand action on environmental issues, as well as to make informed lifestyle choices. At the same time, we look forward to make this an engaging platform for citizens to share their experiences, and work collectively on solutions.
