India, US agree to work together on climate change

Lalit K Jha

Washington, Mar 26 (PTI) India and the US have decided to
work together on the issue of climate change and collaborate
jointly in areas of renewable energy and clean technologies,
as New Delhi's first high level dialogue on the issue with the
Obama administration concluded here.

Shyam Saran, Prime Minister's Special Envoy on climate
change concluded his four-day trip to the US, during which he
objected against attempts to club India along with "major
emitters" of green house gases and warned the developed world
against sneaking in "protectionism under green label" garb.

Under the Obama Administration, this was the first high
level dialogue between Washington and New Delhi on climate
change and energy security.

The trip, that saw Saran meeting top Obama government
officials on issues of climate change and energy security,
which US President Barack Obama has made a top priority.

New Delhi and Washington have decided to work together on
issues of climate change and collaborate jointly in areas of
renewable energy and clean technologies, officials said here.

India also sought partnership with the US in the field of
clean and renewable energy and the two sides agreed to work
together to ensure a successful outcome at the upcoming
climate change conference in Copenhagen, also known as 15th
COP (Conference of Parties).

On the last day of his visit, Saran met Energy Secretary
Steven Chu and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
William J Burns. He earlier met Todd Stern, the Special US
Envoy on Climate Change; Nancy Helen Sutley, Chair, White
House Council on Environmental Quality and John Holdren,
Director of the Office of Science and Technology.

During these meetings, the two sides exchanged views on
the ongoing multilateral negotiations on climate change under
the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).

Saran also met key Congressional leaders during his trip,
including John Kerry, Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign
Relations Committee and Congressman Ed Markey, head of the
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming,
besides Congressman Jim McDermott among others.

The meetings saw a detailed exchange of views wherein it
was agreed that the two countries need to work together in
areas of renewable energy, clean coal technologies and
collaborative research and development (R&D) in these and
other areas, officials said.

The US appreciated the actions taken by India under the
National Action Plan on Climate Change and conveyed their
willingness to cooperate with New Delhi in all these areas.

While at the prestigious Brookings Institute, Saran spoke
on the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, at Carnegie Endowment
for International Peace he presented India's perspective on
climate change. He also met officials of several think tanks
working in the field of climate change. PTI LKJ
DEP
NNNN