She is member of Rajya Sabha and member of several committees of Rajya Sabha including Committee on Empowerment of Women, MPLADS, Science, Technology, Environment and Forests and General Purpose Committee.

She is a climate change crusader and also an author of a book named Green India Clean India and Swapna Udyachi-Sundar Jagachi (a reference book in Marathi on climate change), 2011. She has participated in several climate change deliberations at national and international platforms including COP 21. Mrs. Chavan has taken a leading role in several environmental movements in the city of Pune. She is also the founding President of ALERT-a network initiative to bring about dialogue between Government, elected representatives and citizens on climate change.

In 2016-17, she took a lead in campaigning for low carbon interventions in MPLAD Scheme and a percentage allocation of MPLAD funds for renewable energy which would help in low carbon local area development