CLIMATE POLITICS AND CROSS-BORDER IMPACTS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CHINA AND THE US ON INDIA

Abstract

This paper evaluates the effects of climate-related policies that were developed in China and the US on the Indian economy, its environment and its energy security and climate change commitments. Meeting the needs of climate change is an issue of serious concern for India, and as such India needs to strike a balance between developmental aspirations and global expectations on climate action. The Sino–American competition adds to India’s pressure where China’s BRI is transforming energy and water security in the region and US clean energy strategies offer both windows of opportunity and constraints. Even with transformative climate action goals set for itself, India is unable to handle the backlash from these nations which is a big hindrance for it, and this too the political science discourse is the gap that exists when it comes to the connection between international climate agendas and the Indian domestic scenario. On the other hand, it investigates the dynamic issues of how the policies of the two states affect the energy transitions, water security and climate action of India. The research combines three methods: policy analysis, historical and comparative case studies, to understand the dynamics of environmental geopolitics and economic relations. This study assists India in achieving its renewable energy targets but China's Belt and Road Initiative has created problems in the northeastern part of the country by increasing dependence on other countries for resources. The research further assists in deepening the understanding of dynamic India’s strategic adjustments amid superpower climate tussles and emphasizes on such integrated regional models. This research follows the dependency theory approach, which emphasizes India’s regional integration and multicentric climate negotiations in order to address regional climate risks. 

Keywords: Cross-border conflict, climate politics, USA-CHINA, India