Renewable Energy Technology (RET) has gained momentum in the international arena as it is a key way to mitigate climate change.

Both India and China are at the forefront of environmental diplomacy at various international forums such as the climate change negotiations through the forum of BASIC, namely Brazil, South Africa, India and China. They are now in the process of shifting to "greener" forms of energy.

Both energy and environment have developed into tools and drivers of diplomacy, exemplified by RET. India and China could engage in this triangular relationship at the bilateral level to boost their otherwise unsteady cooperative relations. 

Both nations have witnessed various crises in their economies and societies since their inception, an overwhelming jump in the energy requirements in order to maintain their economic growth rates and changes in the environment that could take a toll on the same success stories in the future.

The two nations' energy requirements are mounting while resources are not plentiful. China is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world while India is the third largest, albeit their per capita emissions are much lower than many developed countries.

China has taken the lead in the use of RET. There are increasing signs of climate change in China. Its eastern coast is susceptible to sea-level rise, the northern mainland is prone to desertification and southern mountainous region is at risk of glacial recession.

On the climate change vulnerability index, six of India's cities figure among the top 25 cities in the world.

In 2011, China's spending on renewable energy ($52 billion) constituted one-fifth of total global investment in clean energy, ahead of the US ($51 billion), Germany, Italy and India. India could learn a few valuable lessons from China in this respect.

For instance, China introduced differential taxation to derive profits from Clean Development Mechanism projects, which in turn would be used to create a sustainable development fund and to promote renewable energy prospects. Since the coming into force of the renewable energy law in 2006, it has also subsidized investment, transmission and distribution costs of renewable energy-based power projects.

The Chinese leadership has set a 15 percent non-fossil energy target for 2020.

It is known to have the most aggressive deployment of solar and wind energy. China has emerged as the world's largest manufacturer of wind turbines and solar panels.

India signed a climate change cooperation accord with China in 2009, in which they called upon developed nations to reduce emissions and to provide financial and technological resources to developing countries. It also stresses cooperation between the two countries on energy efficiency, renewable energy and forestry.

If the two work together on the environment, they can leave behind the baggage of the past and help form a truly "Asian Century."

Dhanasree Jayaram, a PhD candidate in the Department of Geopolitics and International Relations at Manipal University