Muddling through Climate Change: A Qualitative Exploration of India and U.S. Climate Experts’ Perspectives on Solutions, Pathways, and Barriers

Landon Yoder, Alora Cain, Ananya Rao, Nathaniel Geiger (), Ben Kravitz, Mack Mercer, Deidra Miniard, Sangeet Nepal, Thomas Nunn, Mary Sluder, Grace Weiler and Shahzeen Z. Attari
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Landon Yoder: O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
Alora Cain: O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
Ananya Rao: O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
Nathaniel Geiger: The Media School, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
Ben Kravitz: Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
Mack Mercer: O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
Deidra Miniard: O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
Sangeet Nepal: O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
Thomas Nunn: O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
Mary Sluder: O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
Grace Weiler: O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
Shahzeen Z. Attari: O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 13, 1-20

Abstract: Climate solutions related to mitigation and adaptation vary across the United States and India, given their unique current socio-political–technological abilities and their histories. Here, we discuss results from online face-to-face interviews undertaken with 33 U.S.-based climate experts and 30 India-based climate experts. Using qualitative grounded theory, we explore open-ended responses to questions related to mitigation and adaptation and find the following: (1) there is broad agreement among experts in both countries on the main mitigation solutions focused on the decarbonization of energy systems, but (2) there are a diversity of views between experts on what to prioritize and how to achieve it. Similarly, there is substantial agreement that adaptation solutions are needed to address agriculture, water management, and infrastructure, but there is a wide variety of perspectives on other priorities and how best to proceed. Experts across both countries generally perceived mitigation as needing national policies to succeed, while adaptation is perceived as more local and challenging given the larger number of stakeholders involved in planning and implementation. Our findings indicate that experts agree on the goals of decarbonization, but there was no consensus on how best to accomplish implementation.

Keywords: expert elicitation; climate justice; qualitative analysis; climate change; climate change mitigation; climate change adaptation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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