The US pull-out from the Paris Accord is just the headline in a dynamic and ever changing global landscape for climate change.  There is pressure to try and aim for not just 2 degrees C but 1.5 degrees.  On the other hand, there is some divergence between developed and developing countries in their plans.  Extreme weather events are just the newest twist to growing public awareness, and perhaps support, even if at the sub-national level.  This panel will explore such issues, and ask “what next”?

Panelists: 

• David Victor (Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C.)
• Navroz Dubash (Centre for Policy Research)
• Samantha Gross (Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C.)
• Rahul Tongia (Brookings India) – Moderator

🎧 Listen to Rahul Tongia and Samantha Gross discuss the implications of Donald Trump exiting from the Paris Accord on climate change:

https://soundcloud.com/brookings-institution/a-period-of-transition-in-the-energy-space

Navroz K Dubash is a senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research where he also coordinates the Initiative on Climate, Energy, and Environment. His research and policy interests include climate change policy and governance, the political economy of energy and water, the regulatory state in the developing world and the role of civil society in global environmental governance.

Dubash holds an MA and PhD in energy and resources from the University of California, Berkeley, and an AB in public and international affairs from Princeton University.

David Victor is Co-Chair – Energy Security and Climate Initiative, at the Brookings Institution and also a Professor of international relations at the School of Global Policy and Strategy and director of the Laboratory on International Law and Regulation (ILAR).  Prior to joining the faculty at University of California, San Diego, Victor was a professor at Stanford Law School where he led the Program on Energy and Sustainable Development (PESD). His research focuses on regulated industries and how regulation affects the operation of major energy markets. His book, Global Warming Gridlock was recognized by The Economist as one of the best books of 2011.

Victor’s doctorate is from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University.

Samantha Gross is a Fellow in the Cross-Brookings Initiative on Energy and Climate at the Brookings Institution, Washington D.C.  Her work is focused on the intersection of energy, environment, and policy, including climate policy and international cooperation, energy efficiency, unconventional oil and gas development, regional and global natural gas trade, and the energy-water nexus.  Samantha was previously Director of the Office of International Climate and Clean Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy, where she also directed U.S. activities under the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM).

Rahul Tongia is a Fellow with Brookings India, and leads the energy and sustainability group at Brookings India.  His work focuses on technology and policy, especially for sustainable development. Tongia is also an Adjunct Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, and was the founder cum technical advisor for the Government of India’s Smart Grid Task Force.

This event was preceded by a discussion on Scaling of RE in India – What’s real, what’s missing?