ORF America launched the inaugural cohort of the U.S. - India Emerging Climate Leaders Program, an effort to strengthen the energy and climate relationship between the United States and India in 2024. The network of 20 young leaders from the U.S. and India will raise awareness of climate challenges, propose and develop joint climate solutions, and identify and elevate diverse voices. The nine-month professional development program will include: seminars with notable experts, writing workshops, as well as a five-day in-person study tour to India.
In a virtual induction, ORF America Executive Director Dhruva Jaishankar welcomed the cohort by emphasizing that the U.S. - India Emerging Climate Leaders program is part of the bet on the long-term U.S. - India partnership. Deputy Assistant Secretary for India at the U.S. Department of State, Nancy Jackson, reflected on President Biden’s remarks calling the U.S. - India relationship “the defining partnership of the 21st century.” While recognizing the efforts between both countries on an intergovernmental level, she highlighted the importance of efforts such as the ECL to further secure the partnership through collaborative dialogues between stakeholders in non-policy circles such as media, finance, technology, and the private sector. Karthik Iyer, a Counselor at the Indian Embassy in Washington D.C. and the first Designated Officer for Climate Change, stressed the need for civil society and private sector partnerships to develop climate change solutions at scale.
Following speaker remarks and program overview, participants introduced themselves and shared the specific topics they wished to explore further over the next nine months.
Speakers:
Karthik Gurunanthan Iyer, Counselor (Political), U.S. Embassy of India, Washington D.C.
Nancy Izzo Jackson, Deputy Assistant Secretary for India, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America
Moderator: Shayak Sengupta, Fellow, Energy & Climate, ORF America
