A Passage to India

Q & A with NRDC's Jacob Scherr & Anjali Jaiswal

George Black, who wrote OnEarth's Summer 2009 cover story, "India, Enlightened," spoke with Jacob Scherr and Anjali Jaiswal, who are heading the team scoping out a role for NRDC in India. Jacob is the director of NRDC'S International Program. He has worked for three decades on a range of environmental challenges around the world. Anjali is a senior attorney and has worked at NRDC since 2001. She was born in Gujarat, studied environmental sciences in New Delhi in 1994, and in 2005 was a fellow in the Fulbright Indo-American Environmental Leadership Program, based in New Delhi.

Why is working in India important?

India's economy and population are growing at breakneck speed. Today, India has the second fastest growing economy and soon will be the world's most populous nation. As India develops, its greenhouse gas emissions could skyrocket as the country meets the energy needs of its people, nearly half of whom still live in homes without electricity. India's decisions about its energy strategy are critical to building a sustainable energy future and avoiding a global climatic catastrophe. Now is the time to encourage much increased collaboration between India and the United States to cooperate on climate change and energy.

As a U.S.-based group, can NRDC work effectively in India?

NRDC has more than 30 years of experience of working on environmental issues in other nations around the world. Every country where we have worked, from Chile to China, has its own particular set of challenges. We are very sensitive to our role as a "foreign" organization. We always work with local partners, and we try to focus on issues where we have a more direct stake, such as U.S. foreign assistance to India, or can offer significant expertise, such as on energy efficiency.

We believe that there is tremendous potential for NRDC in India. India is a dynamic and vibrant society with a strong democratic tradition and entrepreneurial spirit. The ties between India and the United States are stronger than ever. There are millions of Indian-Americans, and the United States is now a major investor in information technology and other sectors in India. We hope to collaborate with Indian partners to help work toward a healthy environment and sustainable energy future for this emerging global powerhouse.

How far along are you in defining a potential NRDC initiative for India?

Over the past several months, we have been leading a very intensive review of potential NRDC activities and partners in India. In April, we led an NRDC team that visited New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bangalore. We met with a broad range of institutions and individuals, including leading public interest lawyers, energy entrepreneurs, technical experts, and governmental officials. We were very well received. Right now we are developing specific proposals for cooperative activities on climate, energy conservation, and public health.

What does the re-election of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in May mean for climate change policy in India?

The Prime Minister has said that climate change is a matter of personal concern to him, and that he is committed to addressing it at the highest levels of his government. He set up a Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change, and appointed Shyam Saran as his Special Envoy on Climate Change. He commissioned and released India's National Action Plan on Climate Change. And he recently released a statement that articulates his vision, stating amongst other things,

"India believes that Climate Change, which we all agree is an extraordinary challenge, deserves an extraordinary response. All countries of the world, developed and developing, need to join in a collaborative effort, to bring about a strategic shift, across the globe, from production and consumption patterns based on carbon-based fossil fuels to those based on renewable energy and non-carbon fuels . . . . India believes that investment in addressing Climate Change, especially in renewable energy, could create new industries, new jobs and spur technological innovation."

His re-election signals that there will be continuity in India's posture on climate change. On May 23, President Obama called Prime Minister Singh to congratulate him and invite him to come to the White House. They spoke about the need for greater Indo-American cooperation on key global challenges, including climate change. Hopefully the two leaders will be able to meet in advance of the Copenhagen climate negotiations in December and establish a new partnership on climate change and energy.