During my stay in India I will be an intern with the TERI Climate Change division. I would like to expand my knowledge on the implementation of international climate policy on the local level in India. Certainly, I would also like to gain an inside perspective of the Indian climate debate.

Studying the financial mechanisms of the Kyoto-Protocol, especially the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), I am fascinated by the question of how an internationally negotiated compromise as the CDM is implemented on the local level and affects local communities or relates to their needs. The development and climate nexus is also addressed by the current negotiations on a mechanism for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD). REDD is assumed to have large potential for integrating climate change mitigation and sustainable development on a community level. Are such synergies possible? And can financial mechanisms promote sustainable development? To work on a TERI project which looks into these questions will be an enriching experience for me which I very much look forward to.