Leaders, distinguished speakers pledge to work towards clean energy at‘Dinner of Hope’

Washington DC: April 24, 2012: The third edition of the US-India Energy Summit organized by Yale and TERI North America started with a glittering ceremony in Washington DC today. The Summit’s signature event ‘Dinner of

Hope’ was inaugurated by youngsters Anirudha Nahar and Sam Mehra from Brunswick High School in CT who, motivated led student groups to mobilize funds to brighten lives of those who do not have access to clean and

efficient energy.

In her keynote address, H E Melanne Verveer Ambassador-at-Large, Office of Global Women’s Issues, U.S. Department of State emphasized upon the important role, US and India have to play in an effort to unlock access to energy. She described the hardships faced by over 2.7 billion people across the world, most of them women, in getting access to clean water and energy. She said that India is a natural leader and the US is proud to be

associated with India. She hoped that the ties across levels and sectors will continue to grow. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi she reminded that ‘we must be the change we want to see in the world’.

Dr R K Pachauri President, TERI-North America and Chairman of the IPCC, said that the Summit has become a major defining activity that brings the two great democracies together. He explained how TERI’s landmark Lighting

A Billion Lives program is transforming the lives of women and children in India and across the world.

Lauding the efforts of the youngsters he said that “Imagination, innovation and missionary spirit in the youth of today can bring about transformation” and this is what gives him “hope for a sustainable future.” He thanked H E

Melanne Verveer for the remarkable causes she has been championing and emphasized the power of collective efforts in making the world a better place.

The session was moderated by Kathleen Rogers, President, Earth Day Network who in talking about the impediments to the dissemination of clean energy technology once again reiterated the role of women that is so crucial in achieving the sustainability objectives.