Domestic and international policy connectors in Indian climate policy: The role of environmental civil society organizations

The evolution of Indian climate policy from insulation to active integration in international negotiations has resulted in a co-benefit focused domestic approach where the country attempts to balance climate mitigation and adaptation with developmental activities. While the existing literature documents the central role of environmental civil society organizations (ECSO) in the Indian climate policy, a systematic, empirical investigation into the nature, extent, evolution, and heterogeneity of their role remains a gap to be addressed. We surveyed prominent policy actors in the Indian climate domain during 2021-2022 to identify the link between domestic and international climate policy engagement of ECSO. The overarching objective is to investigate the agenda-setting and mediating role of ECSOs in (a) sieving the international climate rulebook to fit the domestic agenda and NDCs, and (b) facilitating the integration of NDC into actual domestic policy. Our investigation is pertinent for gaining insights into which organizations are prominent and what element of the global agenda they promote through NDCs, as well as what is getting neglected.