Why Public Spending on Climate Change gets Lost in Translation?

 

(Image Source - Blog title image generated using AI with copilot)

Public spending on Climate Change often gets trapped in translational problems. Even though there is lots of noise around climate change but it is evident that much less action happens on ground. This is also mentioned in the recent Lancet Countdown report of 2025. In this blogpost, I have tried to highlight three important translation leakages, which could be hampering effective efforts to address the issue of Climate Change. These are: -

1. Synchronization with Budget Cycles - Government budget (by any government) is prepared for a specific period of time. The period covered by a budget is usually a year, known as a financial or fiscal year. However, looking into the slow process of climatic changes, the policy perspective for Climate Budgeting has to be longer period of time (say 10 to 30 years). In order to financially support longer term climate policies through climate budgeting embedded within the annual government budget, annual budgets allocated to climate change efforts has to target at incremental efforts distributed across periodically (annually) managed budgets. This involves act of breaking down of policy led efforts (tasks) towards climatic changes to smaller parts (sub-tasks). These smaller parts (sub-tasks) have to be broken down to the extent that they get synchronized to fit the periodicity of the budget implementation cycle (usually a year).

The process of breaking down of efforts (sub-tasking) from a larger policy led effort (task), which is a logical entity under a longer policy roadmap needs adjustments to get budgetary allocation. These adjustments include keeping the broken-down effort in tune with the available time (usually yearly budgetary cycle), keeping the broken-down effort objective for quantified consumption and utilization of allocated budget (within the timeframe of budget cycle) and keeping the broken-down effort auditable in tandem with comprehensive budget outlay of entire budget spanning across all the other priorities. Even though such adjustments improve fiscal accountability, it carries risk of dilution and deviation of broken-down effort (sub-task) from policy led effort (task) in terms of meeting the core objective to minimize the impact of climate change impact on the planet.

Further, in dealing with public spending, it is observed that fixed shorter terms of budget-cycles (annual) tend to give preference to those matters, which are considered needing immediate attention. Often this happens at the cost of those matters needing long term persistence. Sudden preference to such matters needing immediate attention may be attributable either to unanticipated changes in fiscal conditions arising from local or global contingencies or to unexpected socio-political compulsions faced by governing bodies time to time.

2. Synchronization across Geographies - Climate Change is a global phenomenon, which needs to be addressed at local levels by locally governing entities across the globe. This means there should be synchronization amongst entities governing geographies. But different geographies are diverse in character and have their own socio-economic and politico-cultural dynamics. It can be easily observed that different countries face vastly different fiscal capacities, priorities, and vulnerabilities, making coordinated global action difficult.

Time and again it has been established that breaking-down collective actions on the critical issue of Climate Change to be addressed through regional or country level efforts have been ineffective. (Ref - The World Is Failing Its 2025 Paris Climate Target. Now What? | TIME)

The translation of a critical issue of global significance, which needs immediate attention gets easily overshadowed by local and regional priorities of individual countries. Collectively all the countries across the globe have not been able to curb the pursuit of growth driven development at the cost of one and another and even at the cost to human existence on the planet. Eventually, this leads to fragmented investments, uneven adaptation, and inefficiencies in tackling the global challenge of Climate Change (ultimately impacting collective public spending patterns at global level).

3. Synchronization across Socio-Political Spheres - Most vulnerable groups to climate change often are either ignorant about linkages of their problems to Climate Change or lack the political voice to drive the attention of the governing body towards lasting solutions to problems faced due to Climate Change. Many dominant groups with better understanding about climate change or with strong political voice are not expressive on the issue either due to vested economic interest (example - fossil fuel industry) or due to indifference towards vulnerable groups and / or towards future consequences.

What is perceived by politically dominant groups as a problem of livelihood and health amongst vulnerable groups has a potential to impact entire societies across the globe in a massive that too way all of sudden. With sincere efforts by many agencies across the globe through all the possible channels, the message is reaching loud and clear to all sections of the society. Therefore, there is an awareness about Climate Change and its possible impact in the sub-conscious minds of significantly large population (beyond the critical mass). But this is not translating into collective concern within societal groups to present a dominant political agenda significant enough to become universal political consensus transcending all other prevailing issues (many may be less significant to a rational analysis).

Eventually, such a socio-political scenario presents institutional fragmentation rather than convergence towards matters pertaining to Climate Change (ultimately impacting public spending patterns).

In the end, it can be concluded that promising future for human being can be achieved by avoiding losing in translation in above cases with following considerations: -

1.    Continuous Policy Support by appropriately funding Climate Change

2.    Cooperation at Country Level on the issue of Climate Change

3.    Consensus within societies for prioritization on Climate Change

The above conclusion can be summed up as 4Cs: -

Coexistence (for Promising Future) = Continuous (Policy Support) + Cooperation (Country Level) + Consensus (Inter-Societal)

 

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Definitions:

 

Budget - Budget is a plan to show how much money a person or organization will earn and how much they will need or be able to spend. Public budget or government budget is the forecast by a government of its expenditures and revenues for a specific period of time.

(Ref- https://www.britannica.com/money/government-budget),

(Ref- https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/budget).

Public Budgeting - Public budgeting is defined as the study of the allocation of government resources, which involves the development, structure, and dynamics of political institutions as well as the formation of comparative fiscal and macroeconomic policies (Ref - https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/economics-econometrics-and-finance/public-budgeting).

Climate Finance - Climate finance refers to local, national or transnational financing—drawn from public, private and alternative sources of financing—that seeks to support mitigation and adaptation actions that will address climate change. The Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement call for financial assistance from Parties with more financial resources to those that are less endowed and more vulnerable. This recognizes that the contribution of countries to climate change and their capacity to prevent it and cope with its consequences vary enormously. Climate finance is needed for mitigation, because large-scale investments are required to significantly reduce emissions. Climate finance is equally important for adaptation, as significant financial resources are needed to adapt to the adverse effects and reduce the impacts of a changing climate. (Ref - https://unfccc.int/topics/introduction-to-climate-finance)

Carbon Budget - The term Carbon-Budget refers to the total net amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that can still be emitted by human activities while limiting global warming to a specified level (e.g.,1.5°C or 2°C above pre-industrial levels).

Carbon budgets are part of long term emission reduction targets which are broken down into annual limits. A climate budget then integrates these carbon budgets into routine operations and policies.

Climate budgeting enables the identification, classification, and categorisation of expenditures that are pertinent to climate change within the scope of a government's budgetary structure. This mechanism allows precise estimation, diligent monitoring, and methodical tracking of such expenses.

(Ref  - https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/faqs/IPCC_AR6_WGI_FAQ_Chapter_05.pdf)

(Ref - https://budgit.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Climate-Budgeting-for-Green-Accountability-1.pdf)

(Ref - https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/climate-budgeting#:~:text=The%20recently%20released%20Union%20Budget%20for%20the,of%20the%20energy%20transition%20and%20sustainable%20development.).

Climate Change - Climate change means a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods. (https://unfccc.int/resource/ccsites/zimbab/conven/text/art01.htm)

 

 

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DPDP Act 2023 in Brief

 

(Image generated using ChatGPT)

In this blogpost I have tried to summarize the DPDP Act 2023 (The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, Government of India) in a PPT. The details can be accessed as under: -

Summary of DPDP Act 2023, Government of India in PPT

DPDP Act 2023 can be accessed at following link: -

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, Government of India

However, I am not a legal expert and may request readers to refer the actual act for making any decision, inference or taking an action. This summary is only an attempt to develop a broad understanding of the act for general purpose. Accurate meaning of such a legal document can only be deduced from the original act from official website.

- Santosh Behar

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6C Model for Building a Cohesive Team

 

(Figure – 1: The 6C Model for Building a Cohesive Team)

Cohesive team consistently performs execution to perfection. Therefore, building a cohesive team is a fundamental but often complex challenge for any organization. A cohesive team is one where members work collaboratively, trust one another, communicate effectively, and share a common vision.

This blogpost is an attempt to suggest a way to achieve cohesion within a team. In doing this attempt, it may be good to identify critical attributes for achievement of cohesion in a team. In my opinion, the following characteristic attributes of cohesion can be considered deterministic attributes for cohesion. This is also shown in the attached figure.  

1.      Commitment - Commitment in a team refers to the shared dedication of all members to the team’s goals, values, and mutual success. It is a psychological bond that motivates individuals to act in the interest of the group, even when challenges arise (within the team or in the external environment).  

2.      Collaboration - Collaboration in a team is the process by which team members actively work together, sharing ideas, responsibilities, and resources to achieve common goals. It involves open communication, mutual respect, shared decision-making, and coordinated efforts.

3.      Communication - Communication within a team refers to the exchange of information, ideas, feedback, and emotions among team members that facilitates understanding, coordination, trust, and effective collaboration toward shared goals. Within a team, all voices are valued, regardless of role or status. Thus, communication in teams is not just about talking—it’s about creating shared understanding that enables coordinated action, trust, and high performance. Strong communication practices are foundational to team success.

4.      Clarity - Clarity within a team refers to the explicit understanding of critical aspects of the work, dynamics of the work at hand, goals, roles, responsibilities, expectations, and processes among all team members. It ensures everyone knows what they are doing, why they are doing it, and how their work fits into the team’s broader objectives.

5.      Convergence - Convergence in a team refers to the process by which team members align their diverse perspectives, ideas, and inputs into a shared understanding, decision, or direction. It involves moving from initial divergence (idea generation or differing viewpoints) toward unity in purpose, priorities, or action.

6.      Consensus - Consensus in a team refers to a collective agreement reached by all team members where each person supports the final decision—even if it wasn’t their first choice—because they believe the process was fair, their voice was heard, and the decision serves the team’s best interest. Inclusive participation and shared responsibilities hold key to consensus building in a team.

Keeping an eye on the above attributes (the 6 Cs) and ensuring that they are adhered to by the team both in letter and (more importantly) in the spirit (not necessarily is the same order as illustrated in the above point) could help in building and maintaining a cohesive team.

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On a Mission

(Image Source ChtGPT (non-copyright) - Image Name - Village Encounter in Golden Light)

On a Mission - The Poem

 

For a Mission

Enrich the Knowledge

Hone the Skills

Expand the Capacity

Strengthen the Capabilities

 

On a Mission

Adapt to New Surroundings

Adjust to New Norms

Position to Express 

Expect to Enhance Experiences

 

Move Swiftly

with the Strength of Character

with the Conviction to Succeed

with the Focus to Perform

with the Passion to make a Mark

 

On Way to Accomplishment

may an Association

Spontaneous, Sudden, Unexpected

with a Place, an Object

or with a Person

 

Catches the Attention

just for a Moment

may you feel the Touch of Yourself

within, at the Deepest

as if, the Tenderness of The Divine

 

No NOT an Unnecessary Distraction

was the Missing Link

in the Articulation

of the Meaning of Life

in Your Thoughts

 

But, Move On...

the Essence of Touch

was not the Place

was not the Object

was not the Person

was an Abstraction

You Crafted for Yourself

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APPENDIX - A - Title Image Re-Created using ChatGPT

Presently I am posted in Meghalaya, so put up a request with ChatGPT to redraw the Title Image for the Poem in context of Meghalaya and it honoured my request by recreating the image in the following way: -

(Image Source ChtGPT (non-copyright) - Image Name - Historic Walk Through the Village)

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A Reflection on "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" by Paulo Freire

(Picture – AI Generated Image using ChatGPT)

Please access the article (in pdf) at the following link: -

A Reflection on "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" by Paulo Freire

Thank You :-)

Best Regards,

Santosh Behar

Path, the Circumstances Carved

(Photo Reference - generated through ChatGPT) 

Path, the Circumstances Carved

an unexpected turn of destiny

and

into a sudden darkness

all alone

in an unexplored terrain

a world

difficult to comprehend

different to experience

and

impossible to imagine

not at all a dream

this is now

the reality 

and

no option to escape

with the world lost

gone are the intelligence & skills

gone are the culture & values

and

gone are the ego & ambitions

feel deep 

into the inner consciousness

trust with confidence

the instincts

the instant brings

to build bit by bit

learning

and

unlearning the world around

sense 

the emerging rays of light

from nowhere

taking away the darkness

that came suddenly

and 

took away a familiar world

cruelty of the destiny

an opportunity in disguise

to explore the hidden strength

to acclimatise with the new world

and

to explore newer horizons

merit is not

to compare the two worlds

but

to understand the two worlds

to appreciate mutual coexistence

in the realms

so different

and 

yet the same

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Let's Improve Graduate Employability

(Image Reference - Generated using AI features available with CANVA -  https://www.canva.com/design/DAGcJHegLvI/rWDojl53ZDAZPF_rns_6dA/edit?utm_content=DAGcJHegLvI&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton)

This post is to illustrate a business idea intended to address the problem of unemployable graduates in India. The opportunity is presented through a PPP (Power Point Presentation). The presentation can be accessed through the link as under: -

Business Idea Employability 01.pptx

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