How China and India are navigating the energy transition amid shifting geopolitics

This episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast explores the rapidly changing global landscape for the energy transition and how factors like geopolitical tensions, AI and government policies are driving change ahead of COP30, the UN's upcoming Climate Change Conference of the parties. We examine these dynamics through the lens of the world's two most populous countries: India and China. We talk with Carlos Pascual, Senior Vice President and Head of Geopolitics and International Affairs at S&P Global Commodity Insights and a former US Ambassador to Mexico and Ukraine. He outlines the complexities of US-China relations, including the competition for technological dominance and energy resources. "In many ways, China has developed a degree of technology expertise that is having an impact on this relationship in ways that have not been expected," Carlos says. To understand how India is navigating these dynamics, we talk with Vaishali Nigam Sinha, Co-Founder and Chairperson of Sustainability at ReNew, a decarbonization solutions company deploying renewables and other low-carbon technologies in India. She highlights the importance of international collaboration for accessing technology, critical minerals and financing for renewable projects. "This clean energy transition is not about individual countries," Vaishali says. "It's about what all of us can do together." Vaishali also emphasizes the importance of engaging local communities in the energy transition to ensure that they are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to participate. We sat down with Carlos and Vaishali on the sidelines of The Nest Climate Campus, where the All Things Sustainable podcast was an official media partner during Climate Week NYC. Listen to our interview with the CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, or WBCSD: Kicking off Climate Week NYC in a fragmented global landscape Read S&P Global's key takeaways from Climate Week NYC: 5 Climate Week NYC takeaways setting the scene for decision-making in 2026 | S&P Global Read the latest energy and climate scenarios from S&P Global Commodity Insights: Beyond the Energy Transition | S&P Global This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1 and not by S&P Global Ratings, which is a separately managed division of S&P Global. Copyright ©2025 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.