US official Jennifer R. Littlejohn visits Chennai to strengthen US-India environmental cooperation

Chennai: United States Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Jennifer R. Littlejohn visited Chennai on August 22 and 23 to engage with civic leaders, businesses, and academic institutions on U.S.-India cooperation in science, green technology, and climate resilience, including river restoration through the Ambassador’s Water Experts Program.

Littlejohn said, “U.S.-India collaboration in science and technology is crucial to solving our world’s greatest challenges, from protecting biodiversity to combatting the climate crisis. It’s also a key element of our bilateral relationship under the U.S.-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET). Chennai demonstrates the power of this collaboration! From new innovations in solar and green technologies to the Ambassador’s Water Experts Program (AWEP) that supports Chennai in its goal to green its waterways, together we can achieve prosperity and build resilient futures.”

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At IIT Madras Research Park, she toured facilities dedicated to green technology and space startups. Acting Assistant Secretary Littlejohn also participated in a roundtable with green technology entrepreneurs to foster innovation and collaboration in environmental solutions ahead of a planned partnership between the U.S. Consulate and the IIT Madras Research Park to incubate and encourage green tech-driven innovation and ecosystems.

During a meeting with Chennai Mayor R. Priya, Littlejohn and Chennai Consul General Chris Hodges discussed the importance of freshwater ecosystems, including rivers, lakes, and wetlands, in mitigating and adapting to climate change. Littlejohn emphasized the United States’ commitment to collaborating with Chennai through the Ambassador’s Water Experts Program, which aims to support the city in adopting best practices for river restoration, leveraging sister city and other partnerships.

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