Graduation Date: June 2009
Degrees: M.S. Civil and Environmental Engineering; B.A. Individually Designed Major

Seth worked in NRDC's Climate Center and International Programs. During his Fellowship he became an integral part of NRDC's nascent India initiative particularly with regard to sustainable energy policy and climate politics. He contributed to the strategic planning and discussions about the initiative's core short- and medium-term objectives. His work related to enhanced US-India energy and climate cooperation focused on projects promoting climate health preparedness, energy efficiency policy and regulation, and bilateral energy cooperation and successful climate negotiations.

Seth contributed to crafting the organizing documents for the initiative and a letter to Secretary Clinton urging enhanced energy cooperation and a focus on climate change during her mission to India in July. He participated in meetings with the State Department and Department of Energy in DC as well as a highly successful India initiative visit to Goa and Delhi. Seth coordinated the trip itinerary and meetings (roughly 40 in all), communicated with partners, and provided substantive support on climate and energy policy.

During the visit, the India initiative participated in a climate-health conference; hosted cleantech roundtables discussing the impact of US climate legislation on India and opportunities for bilateral sustainable energy cooperation (Seth prepared the basic presentation); and met with many Indian officials, including Shyam Saran, Special Envoy on Climate Change; Jairam Ramesh, Minister of Environment and Forests; Farooq Abdullah, Minister of New and Renewable Energy; Ajay Mathur, Director of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency; and Deepak Gupta, Secretary of New and Renewable Energy. These meetings resulted in addressing some substantive concerns about US climate legislation and international climate negotiations, as well as an opportunity for future cooperation.

In other areas, Seth supported NRDC's Climate Center with basic research to support its political campaigns. He participated in climate adaptation policy meetings; prepared a background piece on adaptation funding resources; contributed to a critique a State Department report on progress in fulfilling the Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act; prepared a letter to President Obama in support of an Earth Summit in Brazil in 2012; and represented NRDC in meetings at the Treasury on World Bank energy financing and with a coalition of conservation and environmental groups submitting draft language for the Foreign Assistance Act re-write.

"NRDC is a preeminent environmental organization that produces high quality work and provides opportunities for young people interested in sustainable energy to engage thoughtfully and productively with the advocacy and science of environmental policy."

Seth Silverman

"Seth helped lay the groundwork for the further development of our initiatives on Earth Summit 2012 and India. Both of these efforts are important to our institutional priorities."

Jacob Scherr
Director, International Program
Natural Resources Defense Council