Climate Change
Future of Coal in India: Smooth Transition or Bumpy Road Ahead?
Content from the Brookings Institution India Center is now archived. After seven years of an impactful partnership, as of September 11, 2020, Brookings India is now the Centre for Social and Economic Progress, an independent public policy institution based in India.
American journalist, columnist and author Thomas L. Friedman spoke to an invitation-only audience at Brookings India’s inaugural event.
The three-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize and author of the widely-renowned book, The World is Flat, engaged a wide variety of Indian politicians, journalists and policymakers during the event. Friedman spoke about the challenges facing the U.S. and the disconnect between Washington, DC and the rest of the country, which is trying to dig itself out of recession. The author also spoke about democracy in the Middle East and the enormous struggle that part of the world is going through with regards to changing its society and political system. In terms of India, Friedman noted that the biggest opportunity the country had was solar energy and that it was dangerous for India to be dependent on imported oil.
Among those present were Anand Sharma, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for Human Resource Development and Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, Ranjan Mathai, Foreign Secretary, as well as Shyam Saran, former Foreign Secretary and current Chairman of the Research and Information System for Developing Countries.
