Anjali Jaiswal

Jaiswal spends part of her time in India, where she is helping the country develop green-building and clean-energy initiatives.

"Our objective is to fight climate change and to build a sustainable economy in India," Jaiswal said. "That means enacting clean-energy standards with local leaders and accelerating solar and other clean-energy projects throughout the country."

It's a tall order, given the scope of the project and considering that India is one of the most populated countries in the world.

"We've found government, business and local community leaders ready to work with us," Jaiswal said. "We can use many of the tools we have here to develop solutions in India."

But, unlike much of the United States, she added, "70 percent of the buildings that will exist in India by 2030 have yet to be built. It's the flip side of California, where we have a fully built environment."

While retrofitting existing buildings can be expensive, Jaiswal said, "In India, we have the chance to get it right and build an energy-efficient economy."

India also is becoming a major hub for U.S.-based companies, including FedEx, Google and Cisco, she said.

"The way you build these types of large buildings is critical to energy use," she said. "Buildings are one of the largest users of energy in the U.S. and in India. If you build them efficiently, this can lead to tremendous energy, pollution and cost savings."

With international standards in place, Jaiswal said India could be a leader and champion of green buildings.

The India Initiative on Climate Change and Clean Energy was launched in 2009 by the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental action group.

Jaiswal has served as a founding director since 2009, having helped develop the initiative.

Since joining NRDC in 2001, Jaiswal also has litigated cases and led campaigns to protect clean water in California, stop dirty coal-fired power plants in the Midwest and strengthen national energy-efficiency standards.

She served as lead counsel in multiparty litigation successfully challenging the Department of Energy's designation of more than 100 acres of American wildlands for fast-track transmission line siting without environmental review. The Wilderness Society v. Department of Energy, 631 F.3d 1072 (9th Cir. 2011).

"I decided to go to law school because it empowered me to make positive change," Jaiswal said. "My career has made that true."

- PAT BRODERICK