US Fossil Fuel Push May Undo Climate Progress. But It Will Have To Pause, Says Teri Chief

(MENAFN- Live Mint) New Delhi: The US' focus on drilling oil and gas, among the most polluting fossil fuels, will reverse the climate action progress and have an adverse impact on the sector, according to Vibha Dhawan, director general of The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri).

The stance of the new US administration is a cause for concern because a lot of inputs were required for people to take climate change seriously, which may be undone, Dhawan said in an interview with Mint.“We had to convince people to take action against climate change.”

Dhawan, speaking ahead of the curtain raiser for the Teri's World Sustainable Development Summit 2025, said the US is equally impacted by climate change, and that policy nudges towards fossil fuel adoption will not be feasible in the long run for anyone.

"This is happening at a time when there were fires in California. I personally feel it's going to be temporary,” Dhawan said.“I'm sure they're going to take a pause and understand what are going to be the long-term implications."

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The US' focus on carbon-emitting energy sources is also a cause for worry because of the dependency on American institutions to provide for climate change mitigation funding, Dhawan said. "...we do require some financial and technological help (from US-based institutions) for energy transition."

Being apprehensive about the funding cuts to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) issued by Elon Musk-led department of government efficiency (DOGE), Dhawan said USAID has not completely stopped funding, but is instead evaluating all outgo. There will, however, be some short-term negative impact, she added.

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