In the face of an escalating climate crisis and growing demand for sustainable transformation, few organizations embody climate action at scale like Sustain Labs Paris.
Founded in 2017, SLP has grown into the world’s largest sustainability and climate-focused venture builder, with active operations across India, the UAE and New Zealand.
From launching the Middle East’s first carbon capture company to designing India’s first undergraduate degree in climate technologies, SLP stands at the forefront of innovation, education and policy transformation in the climate space.
In an engaging interview, Nirmal Menon opens up a discussion with SLP Associate Director Aman Gupta to unpack how India can decarbonize its industrial sectors, future-proof its economy and foster a new generation of climate leaders.
Excerpts
NM: India’s industries contribute to more than 50 percent of the country’s air pollution. What, according to you, would an effective roadmap for industrial decarbonization look like, especially in heavily polluted urban regions like Delhi-NCR or industrial belts in Maharashtra and Gujarat?
AG: Industrial emissions in India contribute not only to particulate matter but also to carbon emissions, posing risks to both climate and public health. There is no one-size-fits-all solution; an effective roadmap must adopt a layered, techno-economically sound mix of interventions based on local context.
For instance, market-based instruments such as the Surat Clean Air Market have demonstrated early success in capping and reducing emissions in industrial clusters. In regions like the Delhi-NCR, where some forest cover exists, a bundle of nature-tech solutions can be employed to address air pollution at both its source and sink.
Ultimately, multi-stakeholder coalitions, including governments, the private sector, technology providers and funders are essential. At Sustain Labs Paris, we are currently leading a coalition that integrates scientific simulation, pilot implementation and scalable deployment of an air pollution solution for Delhi.
Our model builds on our pandemic-era experience of mobilising partnerships across sectors to establish 28 COVID-care hospitals in India. We know these models work, and they can be adapted to tackle air pollution.
NM: If global warming breaches 3°C, India’s GDP could shrink by 10 percent annually. What macroeconomic measures do you believe the Indian government must prioritize right now to safeguard economic resilience while pursuing net-zero?
AG: India’s economic resilience hinges on climate resilience. The government must prioritise both mitigation and adaptation. A key opportunity lies in infrastructure: with 40 percent of India’s infrastructure yet to be built, we have a window to ensure this growth is low-carbon and climate-resilient from the outset.
Measures should include incentivizing climate-resilient construction, localizing green value chains, deploying nature-based solutions for flood and drought management, and scaling blended finance models to de-risk private investment in clean technology.
Linking economic competitiveness with low-emission development must become central to fiscal and industrial policy frameworks.
NM: Do you believe India’s industrial transformation can happen without compromising growth? How do you reconcile economic competitiveness with environmental accountability?
AG: Absolutely. In fact, climate-aligned growth is India’s greatest opportunity. Investing in clean, resilient infrastructure may incur upfront costs, but it pays off through long-term gains in competitiveness, market access and risk mitigation.
With global trade increasingly tied to ESG disclosure and EU CBAM in the pipeline, climate accountability is now a business necessity. What was once a regulatory compliance issue has become a market differentiator.
India’s commitment to net zero by 2070 provides a pragmatic timeline that allows for balancing development priorities while transitioning. Cleantech sectors such as solar, electric mobility and battery energy storage systems already demonstrate how climatetech can drive affordability, innovation and mainstream adoption. Similar learning curves and approaches can now extend across sectors.
NM: You deliver over 200 corporate assessments and 15+ technical reports annually. What emerging trends are you noticing across these reports that ESG professionals and climate investors should be aware of?
AG: Three major trends are becoming increasingly evident across our assessments. First, sustainability is being mainstreamed into core business strategy; it is no longer seen as a peripheral CSR or compliance activity, but as an essential lever for competitiveness and risk management, specifically in capital-intensive and export-driven industries.
Second, there is a marked acceleration in the adoption of technology, particularly AI and digital tools, to enhance sustainability performance. Businesses are using these tools for several applications such as predictive maintenance, real-time emissions tracking, identifying new products or materials, as well as climate risk analysis.
Third, companies are now recognising the need to invest in workforce upskilling to build in-house capabilities, while also experimenting with circular economy models that drive resource efficiency and innovation.
These trends are also evident from our recently published Top 40 Most Sustainable Companies in Middle East & North Africa, which reflects how leading businesses are increasingly treating sustainability as a driver of value and resilience rather than a compliance requirement.
NM: You’ve designed climate curricula across schools, universities, and ministries in multiple countries. In India, what does the future of climate education look like? Do you believe we’re building a generation capable of responding to the climate crisis?
AG: Climate education in India is at a critical inflection point. While the demand for climate action is growing across policy, research and industry, there remains a significant shortage of qualified professionals who understand the science & technology, policy and business of climate change.
Every sector is now hiring climate specialists. Recognising this gap, we established India’s first undergraduate engineering degree programme dedicated to climate change and technologies, alongside multidisciplinary offerings.
Our progressive, industry-oriented and job-ready programmes across regions and levels prepare students to engage with the world. The future of climate education must be rooted in interdisciplinarity, systems thinking and applied practice, and we are building that future by equipping students to become problem-solvers, not just learners.
NM: What’s your long-term vision for India’s sustainable industrial future? Where do you see the greatest potential for leapfrogging through innovation and cross-sector collaboration?
AG: India’s sustainable industrial future will depend on the confluence of innovation, finance, policy market signals and human capital. The most significant potential for leapfrogging lies in accelerating the performance of low-emission technologies.
We are already seeing this with battery energy densities improving annually and the emergence of new chemistries that could double this capacity by 2030. However, scaling up requires more than just innovation; it requires platforms that enable cross-sectoral collaboration and remove barriers to market access.
Through our Innovation Expand platform, we support ventures in scaling their solutions across the UAE and beyond, offering a model that can be adapted in India. Building an enabling ecosystem where innovation, regulation and market incentives align is key to moving the needle with speed and at scale.
NM: Lastly, what’s your message to Indian entrepreneurs, policymakers and youth who want to build a future-proof, climate-resilient India?
AG: We are at a pivotal moment. Climate is no longer a future issue: it is shaping today’s economic, environmental and social outcomes. For Indian entrepreneurs, this is an opportunity to create ventures that prioritise resilience and long-term impact.
For policymakers, the task is to build enabling frameworks that encourage innovation while safeguarding environmental thresholds. For the youth, this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build careers that are not just future-proof but future-defining.
The pathway to a climate-resilient India lies in putting in place the right skilling ecosystems, financing mechanisms and market access platforms, and in believing that change is not only possible, but already underway.
