The Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) is one of South Asia’s leading not-for-profit policy research institutions. The Council uses data, integrated analysis, and strategic outreach to explain – and change – the use, reuse, and misuse of resources. It prides itself on the independence of its high-quality research, develops partnerships with public and private institutions, and engages with wider public. Watch The (R)evolutionary Road, 10 Years of Being CEEW. 

The founding board envisioned CEEW as an India-based, globally engaged policy research organisation which would analyse and advise on critical questions on energy, environment and water, not as disparate issues but as inter-connected concerns. These concerns had local impacts, as well as global ramifications. The Council was founded in 2010 to also serve as a platform for people with different skills to come together, pursue their interests and build careers in public policy. Learn more about our journey since 2010, here.

At CEEW, we are driven by our three core values – Integrated, International and Independent. These values highlight our commitment to building a special institution. We were founded to integrate issues, in research, policy and action. We observe the world as a whole and believe that our international outlook helps us to serve India better too. And our most prized value is our independence. CEEW takes no institutional positions, separates clients from funding institutions, fosters collaboration, and ensures that all research outputs stay internationally relevant.

We maintain our independence through a diversity of funding sources such as donations and grants from private and philanthropic foundations, multilateral organisations, corporations, and public institutions. At CEEW, we separate clients from funding institutions. Funders are never given the right to final review any of our publications prior to release. Our monitoring and evaluation systems are designed to prevent any conflicts of interest. Here are more details on our donors and FCRA registration.

At CEEW, we do not compromise on our independence and our integrity. We have no affiliations with any government or political party. We do not take predetermined positions on policy matters, and refuse to comment on any issue until we have examined it ourselves. We also do not stop anyone from trying or pursuing research interests within the scope of our work. Not all research ideas evolve into projects, not all projects result in peer- reviewed publications, and not all big bets succeed. At CEEW, leadership is by initiative. At CEEW, we celebrate failures.

Independence is our most cherished value. Without our independence, we are nothing. With it, we have nothing to fear. This has been a core value since the conception of The Council. We do not take institutional positions and we separate clients from funding institutions. We have embraced a ‘no-compromise, non-partisan’ approach in our research and public outreach. Over the years, we have engaged with the highest levels of government (on climate change, energy and environmental governance, water and sanitation, or international negotiations) without letting our editorial independence be compromised. All our research is available in the public domain.

No. CEEW is not affiliated to any government, political party, university, or any other organisation. While CEEW has strong collaborations with a diverse set of stakeholders, it remains completely independent.

In ten years of operations, The Council has engaged in over 300 research projects. Some of our notable projects include the 584-page National Water Resources Framework Study for India’s 12th Five Year Plan; the first independent evaluation of the National Solar Mission; India’s first report on global governance, submitted to the National Security Adviser; irrigation reform for Bihar; the birth of the Clean Energy Access Network; work for the PMO on accelerated targets for renewables, power sector reforms, environmental clearances, Swachh Bharat; pathbreaking work for the Paris Agreement, the HFC deal, the aviation emissions agreement, and international climate technology cooperation; the concept and strategy for the International Solar Alliance (ISA); the Common Risk Mitigation Mechanism (CRMM); critical minerals for Make in India; modelling uncertainties across 200+ scenarios for India’s low-carbon pathways; India’s largest multidimensional energy access survey (ACCESS); climate geoengineering governance; circular economy of water and waste; and the flagship event, Energy Horizons. We recently published Jobs, Growth and Sustainability: A New Social Contract for India’s Recovery. Know more about the impact of our work.

The Council’s current initiatives include a go-to-market programme for decentralised renewable energy-powered livelihood appliances; examining country-wide residential energy consumption patterns; raising consumer engagement on power issues; piloting business models for solar rooftop adoption; developing a renewable energy project performance dashboard; green hydrogen for industry decarbonisation; state-level modelling for energy and climate policy; reallocating water for faster economic growth; creating a democratic demand for clean air; raising consumer awareness on sustainable cooling; and supporting India’s electric vehicle and battery ambitions. We also analyse the energy transition in emerging economies, including Indonesia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

Yes. In early 2018, we opened a project office in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The team in Lucknow is currently supporting power sector reforms in the state. Know more about this work here.

We have multiple research projects running across 22 Indian states and other parts of the world. We are supporting power sector reforms in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, scaling up solar-powered irrigation in Chhattisgarh, supporting climate action plans in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, evaluating community-based natural farming in Andhra Pradesh, examining crop residue burning in Punjab, promoting and deploying solar rooftops in Delhi, Bihar and Meghalaya.

Young, dynamic, and diverse, The Council’s team, doesn’t accept the status quo. We believe in action. At The Council, we encourage leadership by initiative, not seniority. If you are driven by one belief – public policy, supported by deep analysis, can be a force for good – join us! Know more about current opportunities and our work culture here.

CEEW believes in collaborations. You can support us through financial assistance, give a gift in kind, help The Council gain better visibility, and contribute your valuable expertise and talent. We could also explore partnerships on research or strategic outreach. If you have any queries or ideas, contact us now.

CEEW is a gathering of minds. It was envisioned as a place where experts and stakeholders would come together to deliberate on evidence, to respect a diversity of views, and to act for results. CEEW is outward-oriented, not insular. It is an institution of learning, a forum for dialogue, and a platform from which to launch solutions. Hence, we chose to call ourselves the ‘Council on Energy, Environment and Water’ or ‘The Council’.

The ‘The Council’s Arc of Learning’ is a path of inquiry and initiative that serves as a guiding light for our entire team. It includes seven stages: Identify, Conceptualise, Understand, Convene, Communicate, Support, and Reflect. The Arc is vital to our mission of translating research into action, and adds value to our culture of rigour and analysis. Learn more about ‘The Arc of Learning’ and what we believe in on our careers page.