Verma calls for expanding Indo-US engagement on clean energy

US Ambassador to India Richard Verma today stressed on expanding bilateral engagement on clean energy even as he said India and the US have pledged to take up the leadership role in the recent Paris climate summit.
"US and India both have pledged to be a part of the solution and also take up the leadership role... Developing countries like India are rightfully concerned about financial, technological, and administrative support to transitioning to low-carbon growth," Verma said while emphasising on strengthening and expanding bilateral relationship to advance clean energy.
He was addressing students of Banaras Hindu University here.
"We can expand bilateral engagement on clean energy and energy efficiency. For example, we allocated USD 30 million to partner with India over five years to scale-up renewable energy integration into India's power grid. Our two countries have established the PACEsetter Fund and endowed it with USD 7.9 million to fund off-grid clean energy projects.

"We likewise established a public-private partnership to mobilize USD 41 million in financing for clean energy entrepreneurs. We are continuing to push forward to fully implement our landmark civil nuclear agreement and look forward to US-built nuclear reactors generating safe and renewable energy for new generations of Indians," he said.
"Finally, we can launch the Fulbright-India Climate Fellowship to facilitate capacity building in climate research and expeditiously begin the air quality cooperation that our two leaders agreed upon in January," Verma said.

On the growing threat posed by terrorist group ISIS, Verma asserted that such terrorism challenges will be met in the same way as they have been met in the past. He also ruled out another world war in the wake of growing threats posed by the Islamic State.

"...The fact is that (if) United States and India can come together then good things can happen for peace and prosperity and I believe we all have challenges in front of us, terrorism challenge and other challenges but we will meet these challenges as we have in the past," he said.
"Today India and USA both are reliable partners, we now trust each other, and require each other and as the USA President and Indian PM said we now need each other... We have now acknowledged each other and we need to work together to solve various issues such as security, economic, strategic, food security and other security issues," he said.