Abstract

Since the start of multilateral climate negotiations, India and the US have been on opposite sides of the aisle on the issue of responsibility for climate action. Following years of intense scrutiny, India found points of convergence with the US and worked closely with the Obama administration to help secure a global deal at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference. The Trump era, however, marked a period of stark divergence between India and the US on the issue of climate change. The US’ climate inaction at the multilateral level under the Trump administration was met with India’s proactive global leadership in the fight against climate change. At the same time, the bilateral relationship saw greater convergence on the issue of energy trade, particularly conventional sources of energy such as coal, oil and gas. This essay analyzes India-US climate relations during the Trump years and argues that the personal views of the political leadership and domestic interest groups affected the nature of this relationship, which is best described as divergence on climate change but convergence on energy security.

摘要

自多边气候谈判启动以来，印度和美国在气候行动责任问题上一直处于对立面。经过多年的严密审查，印度找到了与美国的共同点，并与奥巴马政府密切合作，以帮助确保在 2015 年巴黎气候大会上达成全球协议。然而，特朗普时代标志着印度和美国在气候变化问题上出现了明显分歧。特朗普政府领导下的美国在多边层面的气候无所作为遭到了印度在应对气候变化方面积极主动的全球领导。与此同时，双边关系在能源贸易问题上更加趋同，尤其是煤炭、石油和天然气等传统能源。