Earlier this month, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), a leader of the Senate India Caucus, introduced the Prioritizing Clean Energy and Climate Cooperation with India Act of 2021, which should it pass, would create the US-India Climate and Clean Energy Partnership to help the world’s second- and third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases reduce the primary cause of the climate crisis. 

In response to the introduction of the bill, HAF Senior Director of Communications Mat McDermott, lead author of the Hindu Declaration on Climate Change, remarked:

“The foremost thing that must be done to stop dangerous climate change is for every nation to transition off of fossil fuels as quickly as possible. Anything that promotes and, more importantly, delivers on the United States and India doing so, is a step in the right direction. Increased cooperation between the American and Indian governments, our businesses, and our people can benefit both nations and the planet. HAF applauds Sen. Menendez for leading the way on this aspect of solving the climate crisis by the introduction of this timely piece of legislation.”

On a practical level, the legislation will: promote partnerships between US and Indian universities and research centers working on clean energy technology; promote sharing of intellectual property for renewable energy, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems; encourages US investment in clean energy in India; supports electrical grid improvement and renewable energy deployment in India; prioritizes climate risk reduction and resilience capacity building for US diplomatic, security, and development work in India.