Atlantic Council ​​​

The Atlantic Council is a nonpartisan organisation that works with partners across the world to shape solutions to global challenges. It operates through 16 programs and centres, including the Climate Resilience Centre, which is a leading voice in urban heat governance.

With support from Howden Foundation, the Atlantic Council's Climate Resilience Centre is co-developing India’s first Chief Heat Officer (CHO) Bootcamp after the country appointed heat officials across 23 states. Chief Heat Officers are locally appointed officials who coordinate city-wide heat responses, accelerate cooling initiatives, and embed heat resilience into long-term urban planning. The Climate Resilience Centre pioneered the Chief Heat Officer model in 2021 and has since built a global network across cities worldwide.

This program supports India’s heat officials through structured onboarding, practical training, and an ongoing support network. Each 2–3 day bootcamp offers global and local expertise on heat science, equity, urban policy, public health, and strategic communications.

The programme aims to train 12–15 heat officers in its first year, rising to over 40 in its second. This training will benefit the estimated 17 million people living in India’s most heat-vulnerable regions, as their local heat officials return with the resources, tools, and networks needed to build greater resilience.