Thaindian News

By Arun Kumar
Washington, Sep 25 (IANS) Indian ministers Farooq Abdullah and Jairam Ramesh will take part in the US-India Energy Partnership Summit to be held here Oct 1 aimed at contributing to the ongoing high-level India-US dialogue areas such as renewable energy, climate change and technological innovation.

The summit will support the dialogue on how to promote enabling policies for the rapid development and deployment of green technologies in both the US and India and the opportunities for partnership.

Convened by Yale University and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), it will include representatives from government, industry, academia and civil society.

“As two of the largest energy consumers in the world, it is critical that both the United States and India contribute to a global action plan on climate change if we are to achieve a sustainable energy future,” said Rajendra K. Pachauri, director-general of TERI.

“We hope that this summit will be an opportunity to take another major step in that direction.”

Pachauri is also the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and director of the newly established Yale Climate and Energy Institute.

“There is no longer a question about the urgent need to address climate change and our energy needs. India and the United States, along with China and other major economies, have to be leaders in this discussion,” said Richard C. Levin, president of Yale University.

“With Rajendra Pachauri directing the Yale Climate and Energy Institute, Yale and TERI have an opportunity at this crucial moment to convene the stakeholders from India and the United States and advance the ongoing discussion about energy and climate.”

The sessions will focus on sharing ideas and best practices between the US and India and will build on the existing discussions between the two countries.

Speakers at the US-India Energy Partnership Summit include Farooq Abdullah, India’s Minister for New and Renewable Energy; Steven Chu, US Secretary of Energy; Jairam Ramesh, India’s Minister of State for Environment and Forests; and Todd D. Stern, US Special Envoy for Climate Change.

Since 2005, senior officials from both governments have engaged in the US-India Energy Dialogue co-chaired by the US Secretary of Energy and the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of India.