In order to negotiate effectively on an international
regime for climate change, US policymakers must have an accurate
understanding of the constraints and considerations that determine the
negotiating positions of key countries. India plays a pivotal role in
these efforts. In the run up to the December 2009 negotiations in
Copenhagen, India has proven to be a canny negotiator, constantly
seeking to balance the demands of major Western countries with the
positions of the developing world. But the high stakes drama of
international negotiations often leads observers to treat India as a
monolithic actor with a single set of opinions and needs. The essays in
this volume are intended to counter this assumption and to show the
rich, divrse, and often divergent viewpoints that inform India’s
approach to climate change.
The nine Indian experts who have
contributed to this volume address various aspects of the climate
challenge, ranging from the risks to Indian energy security and water
resources to the dynamics of greenhouse diplomacy and the opportunities
and obstacles to Indian policy leadership. Indian Climate Policy: Choices and Challenges
illustrates the complex constraints on Indian policymakers and provides
material for more fruitful, better-informed discussions in Washington,
Delhi, and all points between.
To access the publication
as a complete PDF or as individual chapters, go to
https://www.stimson.org/pub.cfm?ID=899