Permanent group on climate change

8220;We are in the process of finalising a national action plan on climate change. In this regard, we decided to constitute a core group of negotiators to present India8217;s stand at the climate change deliberations,8221; Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal told The Indian Express. 8220;The idea is to send a message to the international community that we are committed to take care of our future generations and extremely concerned about the impact of climate change on our lives. The need is to formulate a policy that is independent of the other countries8217; views on the subject,8221; he said. Sibal, who led the Indian delegation at the climate change conferenc e in Bali in December last year, also made a presentation to the Prime Minister and briefed the council on the talks held at the Indonesian city.

The Prime Minister reviewed the progress made on formulating the national action plan and asked the members to come up with a policy in the best interests of the country and the world.

Apart from Sibal and Saran, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia were also present at the meeting.