, Columnist
Will India Really Go Green?
The answer depends on a host of questionable assumptions.
No government can ignore the poor's need for electricity.
Photographer: Mahendra Parikh/Hindustan Times/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
As soon as Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement on climate change, eyes turned eastward. Even as the U.S. reneges on its promises, the argument now goes, China and India will show leadership instead; they at least are committed to low-carbon growth.
I wouldn’t be so sure, at least where India is concerned. It is true that the Indian government has reiterated its Paris pledges. But Trump’s decision has nevertheless opened a door for India to revise its own very stringent commitments as and when they become problematic. While they haven't yet reached that point, they may well do so, and soon.