Jairam Ramesh highlights India’s new efforts on climate change

WASHINGTON, USA: There was standing room only at the US-India Business Council (USIBC) for a breakfast meeting with Jairam Ramesh, as executives representing leading American corporations pressed into a large ballroom to hear India’s point person on climate change, who detailed India’s proposals to mitigate its greenhouse gas emissions, and to reach multilateral agreement at Copenhagen and beyond.

The USIBC convened the breakfast in partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as part of the Green India Initiative launched one year ago. India’s Ambassador to the United States, Meera Shankar, opened the meeting and Dr. Ramesh Ramachandran, President of Dow India, set the scene by underscoring the myriad opportunities to collaborate with Indian partners to meet the challenges of climate change. David Good, head Tata Sons Ltd for North America, and Member of the USIBC Board of Directors, introduced the Honorable Minister.

Belying the myth that India is not making serious commitments on climate change, Minister Ramesh detailed a range of new mandates that will ensure mitigation outcomes for carbon emissions in India. They include a mandate on fuel efficiency for cars by 2011, mandatory building efficiency codes by 2012, a requirement for 20 percent of energy from renewable sources by 2020; and an expansion of India’s forest cover.

The new policy undertakings build on India’s stated plans to achieve 20,000 megawatts of solar power by 2020, save 10,000 megawatts of renewable energy by 2012, and add 60,000 megawatts of nuclear power by 2030.

“These ambitious commitments entail both massive investments and the deployment of the world’s best technologies, which can be achieved only if the private sector is fully engaged,” said Ron Somers, President of USIBC. “The key is for India to develop and sustain a robust market for clean technologies.”

Ted Jones, USIBC Director for Policy Advocacy, observed: “US companies understand that in India, cost is paramount. But they are meeting that challenge today. As long as they can market their technology, license it, and recoup their costs, they will invest and continue to innovate.”

Jones added, “Protection of intellectual property –- and the incentive to innovate –- will be essential if the US and Indian companies are to develop and deploy the low-carbon technologies required to combat global warming.”

The USIBC meeting was another event in the Council’s “Green India” Initiative, launched last year with CII to promote the development of India’s clean energy infrastructure.

During October 26-30, USIBC will bring to India the Green India Executive Mission, featuring leading U.S. cleantech companies, including AES, Astonfield Renewable Resources, Dow Chemical, General Electric, Synergics, SPX, and Weston Solutions, among others.

The US-India Business Council (USIBC), formed in 1975 at the request of the Government of India and the US Government to deepen trade and strengthen commercial ties, is hosted under the aegis of the US Chamber of Commerce. The US Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.