International Cooperation

EPA Collaboration with India

EPA has a long history of cooperation with India on a wide range of environmental topics. This collaboration has supported environmental outcomes from improved air and water quality to enhanced enforcement capacity.

Explore our work in India: 


Improving Air Quality

a congested street scene in India
Increased congestion and dependence on vehicles in India may lead to poor air quality.

During President Obama’s January 2015 visit to India, the United States and India pledged to cooperate on climate and clean energy. One example is through encouraging India’s participation in EPA’s AIRNow-International program, which informs the public about the quality of the air they breathe in real time. Participants in the community of users can share information and learn from colleagues around the world.

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EPA has also engaged with India to support science-based air pollution control strategies in Indian cities. From 2003 to 2010, EPA helped demonstrate technologies aimed at reducing air pollution. These included technologies to manage air quality and reduce vehicle emissions from diesel buses and two-cycle engines. This work was done with the cooperation of India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests, the State of Maharashtra, the Municipality of Pune, as well as other partners.

Combating Climate Change

India is a charter member of the Global Methane Initiative, a voluntary, multilateral partnership that aims to reduce global methane emissions and to advance the abatement, recovery and use of methane as a valuable clean energy source. India currently participates in all three of the GMI’s targeted methane sectors (biogas, coal, and oil & gas) and co-chairs two of these sector subcommittees (biogas and coal). 

Through the Global Methane Initiative, EPA has provided 10 grants for work in methane reduction activities in India and helped to facilitate new methane projects in all sectors in India. 

In March 2010, New Delhi was the host of the GMI’s highly successful Partnership Expo. The Partnership Expo is the world’s largest international forum for promoting methane recovery and use opportunities and technologies. At that time, GMI was known as the Methane to Markets Partnership.

Building Strong Institutions and Legal Structures

From 2005-2011, EPA engaged with India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests to build capacity for environmental enforcement and compliance. As part of this work, in 2005, EPA produced a “Report on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement in India” with the help of the India Central Pollution Control Board.

In January 2011, EPA provided a training workshop for India’s State Pollution Control Boards with applicable enforcement tools and concepts.

More recently, EPA supported development of a handbook, “Enforcing Hazardous Wastes Rules in India:  Strategies and Techniques for Achieving Increased Compliance,” which was published in April 2014 by the Environmental Law Institute and National Law School of India University. The handbook provides tools to officials in India who are seeking to increase local compliance with hazardous waste rules.  

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Cleaning Up E-Waste

EPA and India are also collaborating on global efforts to address electronic waste. India participates in the International E-Waste Management Network (IEMN), which enables environmental officials from around the world to directly exchange best practices related to e-waste management. Through the IEMN, officials from India have participated in workshops on e-waste management in the U.S. and Taiwan which enabled them to share experiences related to e-waste management, and learn from others across the region

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Contacts

For additional information about EPA's work with India, contact:
Joshua Novikoff
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of International and Tribal Affairs (2650R)
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20460
E-mail: novikoff.joshua@epa.gov
202-564-1032