MEER India team participates in the India Climate Cooling Summit 2026

Members of MEER's India team recently participated in the India Climate Cooling Summit 2026, held at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, joining an influential gathering of policymakers, scientists, innovators, business leaders and environmental organizations committed to addressing the growing challenges posed by climate change and extreme heat.

Representing MEER at the summit were Samiksha Gotephode and Bunny Singh Chouhan, who attended on behalf of the organization. Throughout the event, they engaged with experts from a wide range of disciplines, sharing MEER's work on passive surface cooling technologies, climate adaptation and community-based approaches to reduce heat exposure, while learning from the latest research and policy discussions surrounding sustainable cooling solutions.

The summit was designed as a high-level interdisciplinary forum, bringing together experts from science, engineering, governance, finance and public policy to examine practical responses to near-term climate risks. Discussions explored the scientific, technical, economic and societal dimensions of climate cooling, alongside the opportunities, challenges and governance considerations associated with emerging climate adaptation strategies.

The event featured an impressive line-up of internationally recognized speakers and participants, including Sir David King, former UK Chief Scientific Adviser; János Pasztor, former United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Climate Change; Dr. M. N. Rajeevan, former Secretary of India's Ministry of Earth Sciences; Air Vice Marshal (Dr.) Ajit Tyagi (Retd.), former Director General of the India Meteorological Department; Dr. U. C. Mohanty, former Director General of Meteorology; and Lt. Gen. Arun Sahni (Retd.), together with directors, chief executives, policymakers, researchers and innovators from across India and around the world.

During the summit, Samiksha and Bunny met with several respected scientists and environmental leaders, including Brian Von Herzen, Ph.D., Soumitra Das, Rituraj Phukan, Pema Gyamtsho, Ph.D., and Anjan Sarma. These discussions provided valuable opportunities to exchange ideas, learn about complementary initiatives and explore potential future collaborations in climate resilience, sustainable cooling and environmental restoration.

One particularly encouraging outcome of the summit was the opportunity to begin discussions with researchers from FLAME University regarding potential collaboration on future field survey work. MEER has since shared details of its participant and environmental survey methodology, and further discussions are underway to explore how the organizations may be able to work together on upcoming research projects. Building partnerships with universities and research institutions remains an important part of MEER's commitment to advancing robust, evidence-based climate adaptation solutions.

Participation in events such as the India Climate Cooling Summit helps ensure that MEER remains connected to the latest scientific developments while strengthening relationships with organizations working towards shared climate goals. As the impacts of climate change continue to intensify, collaboration between researchers, policymakers, practitioners and communities will be essential to developing practical, scalable solutions for a warming world.

MEER extends its sincere thanks to the organizers for hosting such a valuable and thought-provoking event and looks forward to building on the many new connections, ideas and collaborative opportunities established during the summit.