Articles | Volume 81, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-107-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-107-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Urban climate neutrality: Swiss development projects and urban climate finance in Rajkot
Fritz-Julius Grafe
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Universität Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
Christian Jung
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Universität Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
Cited articles
Akhtar, R.: `Development Has Gone Crazy': The Gujarat Model of `Unequal' Development through Neoliberalism and Hindutva, South Asia: J. South Asian Stud., 47, 576–595, https://doi.org/10.1080/00856401.2024.2350889, 2024.
Alami, I. and Dixon, A. D.: State capitalism (s) redux? Theories, tensions, controversies, Competit. Change, 24, 70–94, 2020.
Alami, I. and Dixon, A. D.: Uneven and combined state capitalism, Environ. Plan. A, 55, 72–99, https://doi.org/10.1177/0308518X211037688, 2023.
Alami, I. and Dixon, A. D.: Theories, Tensions, Controversies, in: The Spectre of State Capitalism, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 23–49, https://doi.org/10.1093/9780198925224.003.0002, 2024.
Alami, I., Dixon, A. D., and Mawdsley, E.: State Capitalism and the New Global D/development Regime, Antipode, 53, 1294–1318, https://doi.org/10.1111/anti.12725, 2021.
Alami, I., Babic, M., Dixon, A. D., and Liu, I. T.: Special issue introduction: what is the new state capitalism?, Contemp. Politics, 28, 245–263, https://doi.org/10.1080/13569775.2021.2022336, 2022.
Almeida, D. V., Kolinjivadi, V., Ferrando, T., Roy, B., Herrera, H., Gonçalves, M. V., and Van Hecken, G.: The “Greening” of Empire: The European Green Deal as the EU first agenda, Polit. Geogr., 105, 102925, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polgeo.2023.102925, 2023.
Bayliss, K. and Van Waeyenberge, E.: Unpacking the Public Private Partnership Revival, J. Dev. Stud., 54, 577–593, https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2017.1303671, 2018.
Bayliss, K., Fine, B., and Robertson, M.: Introduction to special issue on the material cultures of financialisation, New Polit. Econ., 22, 355–370, https://doi.org/10.1080/13563467.2017.1259304, 2017.
BBT: Masterplan Cleantech: Eine Strategie des Bundes für Ressourceneffizienz und erneuerbare Energien, BBT – Bundesamt für Berufsbildung und Technologie, Bern, https://www.newsd.admin.ch/newsd/message/attachments/39299.pdf (last access: 4 February 2026), 2011.
BEEP: Case Study on “Green” Affordable Housing: Smart GHAR III, Rajkot, Indo-Swiss BEEP – Building Energy Efficiency Project, New Delhi, Lausanne, https://www.beepindia.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Smart-GHAR_final_0_14.pdf (last access: 4 February 2026), 2013.
BEEP: The BEEP Journey, BEEP – Building Energy Efficiency Project, New Delhi, https://www.beepindia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/The-BEEP-Journey_Final.pdf (last access: 4 February 2026), 2023.
BEEP: Indo-Swiss Building Energy Efficiency Projekt, https://www.beepindia.org/ (last access: 6 April 2025), 2025a.
BEEP: Eco Niwas Samhita, https://www.beepindia.org/eco-niwassamhita/ (last access: 6 April 2025), 2025b.
Bernards, N.: Waiting for the market? Microinsurance and development as anticipatory marketization, Environ. Plan. A, 54, 949–965, https://doi.org/10.1177/0308518X221073986, 2022.
Bernards, N.: Where is finance in the financialization of development?, Globalizations, 21, 88–102, https://doi.org/10.1080/14747731.2023.2222481, 2024.
Bhandary, R. R., Gallagher, K. S., Jaffe, A. M., Myslikova, Z., Zhang, F., Petrova, M., Barrionuevo, A., Fontaine, G., Fuentes, J. L., Karani, P., Martinez, D., Seitlheko, L., Staicu, D., Ullah, N., and Yimere, A.: Demanding development: The political economy of climate finance and overseas investments from China, Energ. Res. Social Sci., 93, 102816, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2022.102816, 2022.
Bigger, P. and Webber, S.: Green Structural Adjustment in the World Bank's Resilient City, Ann. Am. Assoc. Geogr., 111, 36–51, https://doi.org/10.1080/24694452.2020.1749023, 2021.
Bluwstein, J.: The Trouble with Carbon Budgets, Offsets and Removals in Climate Litigation against States: The Case of KlimaSeniorinnen v. Switzerland at the ECtHR, Eur. J. Int. Law, chaf068, https://doi.org/10.1093/ejil/chaf068, 2026.
Bracking, S.: The Anti-Politics of Climate Finance: The Creation and Performativity of the Green Climate Fund, Antipode, 47, 281–302, https://doi.org/10.1111/anti.12123, 2015.
Brooks, S.: Private finance and the post-2015 development agenda, Development Finance Agenda (DEFA), 1, 24–25, https://journals.co.za/doi/abs/10.10520/EJC181855, 2015.
Bryant, G. and Webber, S.: Climate finance: taking a position on climate futures, agenda publishing, Newcastle upon Tyne, 190 pp., ISBN 9781788214629, 2024.
Bulkeley, H.: An urban politics of climate change: experimentation and the governing of socio-technical transitions, Routledge, London, New York, 1 pp., https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315763040, 2015.
Bulkeley, H. and Castán Broto, V.: Government by experiment? Global cities and the governing of climate change, T. Inst. Brit. Geogr., 38, 361–375, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-5661.2012.00535.x, 2013.
CapaCITIES: Capacity Building for Low-carbon and Climate Resilient City Development, https://www.capacitiesindia.org/ (last access: 2 April 2025), 2025a.
CapaCITIES: About Us, https://www.capacitiesindia.org/about/ (last access: 2 April 2025), 2025b.
CapaCITIES: Climate Resilient Infrastructure Projects, https://www.capacitiesindia.org/climate-resilient-infrastructure-projects-categorized/ (last access: 10 April 2025), 2025c.
Carroll, T. and Jarvis, D. S. L.: The New Politics of Development: Citizens, Civil Society, and the Evolution of Neoliberal Development Policy, Globalizations, 12, 281–304, https://doi.org/10.1080/14747731.2015.1016301, 2015.
Castán Broto, V., Robin, E., and While, A. (Eds.): Climate Urbanism: Towards a Critical Research Agenda, Springer International Publishing, Cham, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53386-1, 2020.
Cleantech Alps: Swiss Cleantech Report, 4th Edition, CleantechAlps, Swiss Federal Office of Energy, Federal Office for the Environment, IGE, Switzerland Global Enterprise, Sion, https://www.cleantech-alps.com/publications/swiss-cleantech-report-4th-edition-2024/ (last access: 10 August 2025), 2024.
Dairon, E. and Badache, F.: Understanding International Organizations' Headquarters as Ecosystems: The Case of Geneva, Global Policy, 12, 24–33, https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12956, 2021.
Dubash, N. K., Khosla, R., Kelkar, U., and Lele, S.: India and Climate Change: Evolving Ideas and Increasing Policy Engagement, Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour., 43, 395–424, https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-102017-025809, 2018.
ETPI: Case Study: Rajkot Smart GHAR III Project: Addressing Thermal Comfort in Affordable Housing, ETPI – Energy Transition Preparedness Initiative, https://etpi.in/sites/default/files/publications/RajkotSmartGHARIII_Case study_ETPI.pdf (last access: 4 February 2026), 2024.
FDFA: Switzerland's International Cooperation Strategy 2021–2024, https://www.eda.admin.ch/dam/deza/en/documents/die-deza/strategie/broschuere-IZA-strategie-2021-2024_EN.pdf (last access: 10 August 2025), 2020.
FDFA: Final Report: Review CapaCITIES project, Phase I, FDFA – Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, New Delhi, https://www.aramis.admin.ch/Default?DocumentID=67096&Load=true (last access: 4 February 2025), 2022.
FDFA: Ministry of Power extends Memorandum of Understanding with Swiss Government for joint building energy efficiency project, https://www.eda.admin.ch/countries/india/en/home/news/news (last access: 6 April 2025), 2025.
Federal Council: Federal Council renews its contribution to the Green Climate Fund, https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/documentation/media-releases.msg-id-100665.html (last access: 2 April 2025), 2025a.
Federal Council: Bundesrat klärt seine Haltung zum EGMR-Urteil über den Klimaschutz, https://www.admin.ch/gov/de/start/dokumentation/medienmitteilungen.msg-id-102244.html (last access: 2 April 2025), 2025b.
Fila, D., Fünfgeld, H., and Lorenz, S.: Theorizing power and agency in state-initiated municipal climate change adaptation: integrating reflexive capacity into adaptive capacity, Geogr. Helv., 79, 21–33, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-79-21-2024, 2024.
Fladvad, B.: Infrastructuring environmental (in)justice: green hydrogen, Indigenous sovereignty and the political geographies of energy technologies, Geogr. Helv., 78, 493–505, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-78-493-2023, 2023.
FOEN: Technologiefonds, https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/de/home/themen/klima/fachinformationen/verminderungsmassnahmen/technologiefonds.html (last access: 9 April 2025), 2025.
Gabor, D.: The Wall Street Consensus, Dev. Change, 52, 429–459, https://doi.org/10.1111/dech.12645, 2021.
GFN: Association to foster the Swiss green digital finance ecosystem, https://www.greenfintechnetwork.org/ (last access: 13 April 2025), 2025.
Goetschel, L.: Neutrals as brokers of peacebuilding ideas?, Cooperat. Conflict, 46, 312–333, https://doi.org/10.1177/0010836711416957, 2011.
Goh, K.: Flows in formation: The global-urban networks of climate change adaptation, Urban Stud., 57, 2222–2240, https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098018807306, 2020.
Goh, K.: Form and flow: the spatial politics of urban resilience and climate justice, The MIT Press, Cambridge, ISBN 9780262367066, 2021.
Grafe, F.-J., Hilbrandt, H., and van der Haegen, T.: The financial ecologies of climate urbanism: Project preparation and the anchoring of global climate finance, J. Urban Affairs, 47, 19–34, https://doi.org/10.1080/07352166.2023.2235035, 2023.
Grafe, F. J., Forino, G., Fraser, A., Hilbrandt, H., and Morris, J. H.: Understanding the functioning of urban climate finance through topologies of reach, City, 29, 203–218, https://doi.org/10.1080/13604813.2023.2284383, 2025.
Haller, L.: Transithandel: Geld- und Warenströme im globalen Kapitalismus, Suhrkamp, Berlin, ISBN 978-3-518-12731-5, 2019.
Hilbrandt, H. and Grafe, F.-J.: Urban Visions of Global Climate Finance: Dispossessive Mechanisms of Futuring in the Making of Groy, Int. J. Urban Reg. Res., 46, 896–905, https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2427.13106, 2022.
Hilbrandt, H., Olmedo, E. B., and Grafe, F.-J.: The chainmaker: How Intermediaries Sustain Urban Policy Initiatives over Time, Int. J. Urban Reg. Res., https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2427.70045, in press, 2025.
HSLU: BEEP Review, HSLU – Hochschule Luzern, Horw, https://www.aramis.admin.ch/Default?DocumentID=70522&Load=true (last access: 4 February 2026), 2022.
Hudson, D.: Global finance and development, Routledge, London, 381 pp., ISBN 9780203381250, 2015.
ICLEI: ClimateResilientCities Methodology, CapaCITIES, New Delhi, https://southasiaoffice.iclei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/CRCAP-Methodology_4-Pager-1-1.pdf (last access: 4 February 2026), 2022.
IIEC: Guidebook for the Integration of Renewable Energy in Buildings, BEEP-RE, Breinigsville, PA, https://beep-re.iiec-india.org/knowledge-product (last access: 10 August 2025), 2023.
Janus, H., Klingebiel, S., and Paulo, S.: Beyond Aid: A Conceptual Perspective on the Transformation of Development Cooperation, J of Intl Development, 27, 155–169, , 2015.
Kurlantzick, J.: State capitalism: how the return of statism is transforming the world, Oxford University Press, New York, NY, USA, 287 pp., ISBN 9780199385706, 2016.
LC3: Low carbon cement can drive sustainable development in the Global South – here's how, https://lc3.ch/2024/05/28/low-carbon-cement-can-drive-sustainable-development-in-the (last access: 9 April 2025), 2025a.
LC3: Limestone Calcined Clay Cement, https://lc3.ch/ (last access: 9 April 2025), 2025b.
LC3TRC: LC3 Technology, https://lc3trcasia.com/ (last access: 9 April 2025), 2025.
Li, T.: The will to improve: governmentality, development, and the practice of politics, Duke University Press, Durham, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv11smt9s, 2007.
Liverman, D. M.: Geographic perspectives on development goals: Constructive engagements and critical perspectives on the MDGs and the SDGs, Dialog. Hum. Geogr., 8, 168–185, https://doi.org/10.1177/2043820618780787, 2018.
Long, J. and Rice, J. L.: From sustainable urbanism to climate urbanism, Urban Stud., 56, 992–1008, https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098018770846, 2019.
Mader, P.: Contesting Financial Inclusion, Dev. Change, 49, 461–483, https://doi.org/10.1111/dech.12368, 2018.
Mawdsley, E.: Development geography 1: Cooperation, competition and convergence between `North' and `South', Prog. Hum. Geogr., 41, 108–117, https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132515601776, 2017.
Mawdsley, E.: Development geography II: Financialization, Prog. Hum. Geogr., 42, 264–274, https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132516678747, 2018a.
Mawdsley, E.: `From billions to trillions': Financing the SDGs in a world `beyond aid', Dialog. Hum. Geogr., 8, 191–195, https://doi.org/10.1177/2043820618780789, 2018b.
Mawdsley, E. and Hughes-McLure, S.: Blended Finance, in: Handbook of Aid and Development, edited by: Desai, R. M., Devarajan, S., and Tobin, J. L., Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham, https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800886810, 2024.
Mawdsley, E., Murray, W. E., Overton, J., Scheyvens, R., and Banks, G.: Exporting stimulus and “shared prosperity”: Reinventing foreign aid for a retroliberal era, Dev. Policy Rev., 36, https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.12282, 2018.
Musacchio, A., Lazzarini, S. G., and Lazzarini, S.: Reinventing state capitalism: Leviathan in business, Brazil and beyond, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, ISBN 978-0674729681, 2014.
Naumann, M., Becker, S., and Bruns, A.: Peripherien, Konflikte, Transformationen – Perspektiven einer kritischen Energiegeographie, Geogr. Helv., 80, 99–107, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-80-99-2025, 2025.
Nölke, A., Ten Brink, T., May, C., and Claar, S.: State-permeated capitalism in large emerging economies, Routledge, London, ISBN 9780429261145, 2021.
Paprocki, K.: Threatening Dystopias: Development and Adaptation Regimes in Bangladesh, Ann. Am. Assoc. Geogr., 108, 955–973, https://doi.org/10.1080/24694452.2017.1406330, 2018.
Paprocki, K.: Threatening dystopias: the global politics of climate change adaptation in Bangladesh, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, ISBN 9781501759178, 2021.
REPIC: Topics, https://www.repic.ch/en/repic-en/topics/ (last access: 13 April 2025), 2025.
Santer, K. O. and Bluwstein, J.: Carbon leakage as capital's spatial fix: the challenges of governing the green transition through carbon border adjustments, Globalizations, 22, 1149–1165, https://doi.org/10.1080/14747731.2025.2506271, 2025.
Schumacher, J. M.: Framing REDD+: political ecology, actor–network theory (ANT), and the making of forest carbon markets, Geogr. Helv., 78, 255–265, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-78-255-2023, 2023.
SDC: Indo-Swiss Project on Energy Efficiency in Building (BEEP), https://www.beepindia.org (last access: 4 February 2026), 2016.
SDC: Brochure: Capacity Building Project on Low Carbon and Climate Resilient City Development in India (CapaCITIES), SDC – Swiss Development Corporation, New Delhi, https://www.eda.admin.ch/content/dam/countries/countries-content/india/en/Capacity_Building_for_Low_Carbon_and_Climate_Resilient_City_Development_project_(CapaCITIES).pdf (last access: 4 February 2026), 2018a.
SDC: Global Brief: Global Programme Climate Change and Environment, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Bern, https://www.eda.admin.ch/dam/deza/de/documents/publikationen/Diverses/Programme_Framework_2021-24_Global_Programme_Climate_Change_and_Environment_en.pdf (last access: 4 February 2026), 2018b.
SDC: Funding climate protection, https://www.eda.admin.ch/deza/en/home/themes-sdc/climate-change/finanzierung-des-klimaschutzes.html (last access: 2 April 2025), 2025a.
SDC: Swiss international climate finance, https://www.sdc-cde.ch/en/swiss-international-climate-finance (last access: 25 October 2025), 2025b.
SDC: Indo-Swiss Programme on Building Energy Efficiency (BEEP) (Phase 3), https://www.fdfa.admin.ch/deza/en/home/projekte/projekte.html/content/dezaprojects/SDC/en/2008/7F06524/phase3 (last access: 9 April 2025), 2025c.
SDC: Low Carbon Cement (LCC) – Phase 2, https://www.eda.admin.ch/deza/de/home/aktivitaeten_projekte/projekte-fokus/projektdatenbank.html/content/dezaprojects/SDC/en/2013/7F08527/phase2.html (last access: 9 April 2025), 2025d.
SDC: New Delhi: Cooling with solar energy in India, https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/fdfa/fdfa/aktuell/dossiers/dossier-nachhaltige-schweizer-botschaften/mit-gutem-beispiel-voran/solarenergie-in-indien.html (last access: 6 April 2025), 2025e.
SDC: Passive Cooling for a Low Carbon Built Environment (BeCool), https://www.eda.admin.ch/deza/de/home/themen/klimawandel.html/content/dezaprojects/SDC/en/2023/7F11234/phase1 (last access: 11 April 2025), 2025f.
S-GE: Cleantech Companies, https://www.s-ge.com/en/services-transition-cleantech-cube (last access: 11 April 2025),2025.
SIF: Green Fintech Network stellt Aktionsplan vor, SIF, https://www.sif.admin.ch/de/green-fintech-network-stellt-aktionsplan-vor (last access: 10 August 2025), 2020.
SIF: Sustainable Finance, https://www.sif.admin.ch/en/sustainable-finance (last access: 2 April 2025), 2025.
SIFEM: Impact Report 2024, https://sifem.ch/de/unsere-wirkung/wirkungsresultate/ (last access: 26 October 2025), 2025.
South Pole: Module I: Climate Finance For Cities, CapaCITIES, New Delhi, https://niua.in/intranet/sites/default/files/3182.pdf (last access: 4 February 2026), 2021.
South Pole: Module II: Designing “bankable” climate resilient infrastructure projects, CapaCITIES, New Delhi, https://niua.in/intranet/sites/default/files/3181.pdf (last access: 4 February 2026), 2022.
Speich Chassé, D.: Verflechtung durch Neutralität Wirkung einer Schweizer Maxime im Zeitalter der Dekolonisation, in: Postkoloniale Schweiz: Formen und Folgen eines Kolonialismus ohne Kolonien, edited by: Purtschert, P., Lüthi, B., and Falk, F., Transcript, Bielefeld, 225–244, ISBN 978-3-8376-1799-3, 2012.
Speich Chassé, D.: Internationale Organisationen und die Schweiz: Chancen eines globalgeschichtlichen Forschungsfeldes, Traverse, 20, 258–274, https://doi.org/10.5169/SEALS-391075, 2013.
SwitzerlandIndia: Towards Net Zero: Switzerland supports Ahmedabad's Climate Action Plan, https://switzerlandindia75.com/index.php/75-success-stories/ (last access: 11 April 2025), 2025.
Taggart, J. and Power, M.: Rendering development investible: The anti-politics machine and the financialisation of development, Prog. Hum. Geogr., 48, 552–574, https://doi.org/10.1177/03091325241240741, 2024.
Tiefenbacher, A. and Mondgenast, L.: CO2-Ausstoß zum Nulltarif: Das Schweizer Emissionshandelssystem und wer davon profitiert, Rotpunktverlag, Zürich, ISBN 978-3-03973-023-0, 2024.
UNFCCC: From Billions to Trillions: Setting a New Goal on Climate Finance, UNFCCC – United Nations Climate Change, https://unfccc.int/news/from-billions-to-trillions-setting-a-new-goal-on-climate-finance (last access: 4 February 2026), 2024.
Wakefield, S.: Experimental Government in the Anthropocene, in: International Relations in the Anthropocene: New Agendas, New Agencies and New Approaches, edited by: Chandler, D., Müller, F., and Rothe, D., Springer International Publishing, Cham, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53014-3, 2021.
Webber, S.: Climate Change Adaptation as a Growing Development Priority: Towards Critical Adaptation Scholarship, Geogr. Compass, 10, 401–413, https://doi.org/10.1111/gec3.12278, 2016.
Webber, S. and Donner, S. D.: Climate service warnings: cautions about commercializing climate science for adaptation in the developing world, WIREs Clim. Change, 8, e424, https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.424, 2017.
Webber, S., Leitner, H., and Sheppard, E.: Wheeling Out Urban Resilience: Philanthrocapitalism, Marketization, and Local Practice, Ann. Am. Assoc. Geogr., 111, 343–363, https://doi.org/10.1080/24694452.2020.1774349, 2021.
Whiteside, H., Alami, I., Dixon, A. D., and Peck, J.: Making space for the new state capitalism, part I: Working with a troublesome category, Environ. Plan. A, 55, 63–71, https://doi.org/10.1177/0308518X221140186, 2023.
Zeppel, H.: The ICLEI Cities for Climate Protection Programme: Local Government Networks in Urban Climate Governance, in: Climate Change and Global Policy Regimes, edited by: Cadman, T., Palgrave Macmillan, London, UK, 217–231, https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137006127_15, 2013.
Zografos, C. and Robbins, P.: Green Sacrifice Zones, or Why a Green New Deal Cannot Ignore the Cost Shifts of Just Transitions, One Earth, 3, 543–546, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2020.10.012, 2020.
Short summary
This paper explores how Swiss development agencies strategically facilitate climate finance in Rajkot, India. By anchoring climate finance locally, these projects promote climate-resilient infrastructure while advancing Switzerland’s geopolitical and economic goals. The study examines the formation of state–capital hybrids and explores the shifting role of the state under current climate finance practices.
This paper explores how Swiss development agencies strategically facilitate climate finance in...