Asheer Rahman Presents India-Focused Carbon Framework at Prestigious Climate Summit

Asheer Rahman Presents India-Focused Carbon Framework at Prestigious Climate Summit

Dil Bar Irshad | August 6, 2025 | Breaking News, International, National | Follow on Google News

Wayanad-Born Entrepreneur Outlines Transformative Strategy for Nation’s Net-Zero Journey: Climate tech leader Asheer Rahman made compelling arguments for India’s massive potential in carbon removal at the Inaugural Oxford Symposium on the Carbon Removal Budget, held at Rhodes House on July 31, 2025. The Kerala native’s presentation at the prestigious University of Oxford event outlined a comprehensive roadmap that could position India as a global leader in cost-effective climate solutions.

Rahman, speaking from personal experience growing up in flood-prone Wayanad district, emphasized how childhood exposure to climate disasters shaped his mission to develop accessible solutions for communities across India. His presentation highlighted the transformative opportunity that carbon removal represents for the nation’s 1.4 billion people.

India’s Unique Position in Global Carbon Markets

During his detailed presentation, Rahman revealed striking cost differentials that demonstrate India’s competitive advantage. Current carbon credit prices in India average just $2.35 per tonne, compared to $48 per tonne in the UK’s Emissions Trading System. This represents a twenty-fold cost difference that could revolutionize global carbon removal deployment.

“The immense opportunity in India for carbon offsetting, especially through regenerative farming, can benefit indigenous people and those with language barriers who might not be aware of international developments in carbon markets,” Rahman told the Oxford audience.

The entrepreneur highlighted ongoing projects involving over 200,000 Indian farmers in carbon sequestration initiatives, demonstrating the scale at which community-based solutions can operate. These projects span biochar production, agroforestry, and soil carbon enhancement across multiple states.

Three-Pillar Framework for India’s Carbon Future

Rahman’s Oxford presentation outlined a systematic approach to embedding carbon removal into India’s national governance structure, built on three foundational pillars:

Legal Framework Development: Establishing binding regulations that create market certainty without burdening common citizens. Rahman stressed that solutions must reduce costs for ordinary Indians while targeting high carbon emitters.

Market Mechanism Enhancement: Implementing robust Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems that meet international standards. Currently, India’s MRV systems are less developed, leading to lower global market confidence in Indian carbon credits.

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Scaled Deployment with Social Benefits: Ensuring that carbon removal projects provide tangible economic benefits to participating communities, aligning with impact investment principles that benefit people, planet, and generate profit.

Regional Diversity Demands Tailored Solutions

A key insight from Rahman’s presentation addressed India’s incredible diversity. With 28 states, some as large as the United Kingdom, each with distinct languages, cultures, and geographies, the entrepreneur emphasized that “one solution doesn’t fit all” and India requires “at least 28 different solutions.”

This recognition challenges conventional approaches to climate policy and suggests that effective carbon removal budgeting must account for regional variations in emission factors, economic conditions, and social structures. Rahman noted that emission factors valid for the UK would not apply to India’s varied contexts.

Investment and Technology Advancement

Rahman expressed optimism about India’s trajectory in the carbon removal sector, noting significant investments from international pension funds and other institutional investors entering the Indian market. He predicted that within a few years, India will emerge as a significant player in global carbon removal systems.

The presentation highlighted current challenges, including the need for improved third-party verification systems and more robust MRV frameworks. However, Rahman sees these gaps as opportunities for rapid advancement, particularly given India’s strength in digital technologies and satellite monitoring capabilities.

Policy Recommendations for Government Officials

Rahman’s framework for Indian policymakers includes several specific recommendations:

Independent Oversight: Establishment of regulatory bodies that cannot be influenced by political or commercial pressures, ensuring long-term policy stability and market confidence.

Insurance Mechanisms: Development of anti-reversal protections that would increase investor confidence, particularly for international investments in Indian carbon projects.

Community-Centered Approach: Policies that ensure carbon removal projects provide direct benefits to participating communities rather than simply extracting value from rural areas.

Academic-Practitioner Collaboration: Rahman called for researchers and policymakers to work together on the ground to understand real implementation challenges, rather than relying solely on theoretical frameworks.

Global South Leadership Opportunity

The Oxford presentation positioned India as a potential leader for Global South nations seeking to participate meaningfully in carbon markets. Rahman argued that India’s experience developing low-cost, community-based solutions could provide templates for other developing countries.

“Carbon offsetting, despite some negative perceptions, is beneficial for people in the Global South,” Rahman emphasized, noting that properly designed programs can deliver both climate benefits and economic development outcomes.

Implementation Timeline and Next Steps

Rahman outlined a phased approach for implementing carbon removal budgeting in India:

Phase 1 (2025–2027): Legal framework establishment and institutional capacity building

Phase 2 (2027–2030): MRV system deployment and market mechanism development

Phase 3 (2030–2040): Large-scale deployment with community benefit sharing

The entrepreneur stressed that successful implementation requires avoiding policies that increase costs for common citizens while ensuring that carbon removal contributes to broader development objectives.

International Recognition and Impact

Rahman’s work has already gained significant recognition, with his carbon offsetting projects featured in NITI Aayog’s compendium “75 Ideas to Promote LiFE” and his research cited by Harvard Business School’s Impact-Weighted Accounts initiative. His appearance at Oxford further establishes him as a leading voice on carbon removal policy for developing nations.

The presentation concluded with Rahman’s call for collaborative efforts between academics, practitioners, and policymakers to develop evidence-based approaches that serve both climate objectives and social development goals. He praised initiatives like Carbon13 at Cambridge University for fostering such collaborative approaches.

Looking Forward

As India works toward its 2070 net-zero commitment, Rahman’s Oxford framework offers a practical roadmap that balances environmental ambition with social equity and economic development. His emphasis on regional diversity, community benefits, and cost-effective solutions provides a template that could influence climate policy across the developing world.

The presentation at Oxford represents a significant moment in international climate policy discussions, demonstrating how expertise from climate-vulnerable regions can inform global frameworks for carbon removal deployment. As the world seeks to scale carbon removal to gigatonne levels by 2050, India’s experience and approach may prove essential to achieving these ambitious goals.

About Asheer Rahman

Asheer Rahman is Founder of Impact Roots and holds fellowships with the Royal Society of Arts. His research on carbon removal budgeting has been presented at Columbia University and cited by leading international institutions. The Oxford Symposium on the Carbon Removal Budget was hosted by the Oxford Sustainable Finance Group at the University of Oxford.