Statement from CCA on the Passing of Gajanana Hegde
© Perumal Arumugam
We at the Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) and the Clean Cooking and Climate Consortium (4C) are deeply saddened by the passing of our highly respected friend and colleague Dr. Gajanana “Gaj” Hegde.
During a prestigious career at the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat that spanned nearly two decades, Gaj worked tirelessly to develop many of the technical foundations for quantifying climate emission reductions. His contributions helped pave the way for projects involving small enterprises and households to gain access to carbon markets, and he had a special passion for clean cooking.
Gaj was a founding member of 4C and participated regularly in 4C events and weekly discussions. Despite the many other important demands on his time, he was always generous in sharing his thoughtful insights and expertise, and contributed valuable guidance to all aspects of 4C’s work.
We will miss Gaj’s pragmatic, patient, and kind way of approaching all matters brought to him. He had a marvelous ability to move seamlessly between deep technical details and big picture perspectives and implications, always happy to answer questions at all levels. Methodically, he built consensus and community this way, and advanced issues that made a huge difference in the lives of so many. And at the end of the day, he could loosen his tie and enjoy a meal and a good laugh with his colleagues. His presence at the table will be missed for a long time to come.
It was Gaj’s gentle encouragement that led 4C to launch the development of the CLEAR methodology. Gaj will continue to be an inspiration to us as we endeavor to further the work he so diligently pursued during his lifetime. Our hearts go out to his family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.