Opinion Good things come in green packages

France and Europe want to be in the forefront of this global endeavour: as French President Nicolas Sarkozy said,“One could hesitate before action,due to insufficient knowledge. Today,we do know,for sure. Doing nothing would be no less than criminal for our planet,each and every continent of our planet. Doing nothing means accepting a point of no return,to be reached as soon as the average global warming tops two degrees. Over two degrees,it will be impossible to go backwards. A decision has to be taken now,at once”.

What Europe has done,unanimously,by adopting an energy and climate regulatory package,and setting ambitious — 20 per cent CO2 emissions reduction target by 2020,is to assume the leadership it has taken since the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol,to which India is also a party.

France is a proactive power in this field. The French Parliament has adopted  an ambitious legislative package which spells out a national action plan,called “Grenelle”,through an initial set of  regulations,according to which,

—by 2010,all new public owned buildings will stick to low consumption standard,

—by 2020,cars GES emissions will be reduced from 176 CO2/km to 130CO2/km through electric and hybrid cars,

—and by 2020 renewable energy will account for 20% of the total output (biomass,geothermal energy,wind energy,photovoltaic).

The green stance of France is not the outcome of a top-down process,but the result of a comprehensive democratic exercise involving all stakeholders such as  leaders,politicians at all levels,companies,civil society,researchers,trade unions.

I would like to quote Al Gore calling for a “worldwide Grenelle”,in order to derive concrete and practical solutions from each society that is confronted with the environmental challenge.

A green revolution is on track. Countries across the world are already exploring opportunities to ‘green’ their economies. India,for example,is looking at ambitious measures on climate change,in the spirit of equity and efficiency.

This revolution is not directed against emerging economies,which will account for more than half of the CO2 emissions growth in the coming decades. We will usher in this revolution with India,China,besides the United States,on the basis of ambitious technological and commercial partnerships,from which global solutions can be derived.

This is the key message I have come to deliver to India,accompanied by French companies which will participate in a French exhibition during the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit,organized by TERI,from February 5 to 7.

This initiative is the business side of a bilateral dialogue on environment initiated in January 2008 during the India visit of President Sarkozy,and confirmed in October 2008 during the France visit of Prime Minister Singh.

My business delegation is a perfect sample of some 1700 specialised companies,either global leaders or innovative Small and Medium Enterprises,identified in France in the sustainable development field. These companies have expertise in various areas -development of low carbon transport, biological sequestration of carbon,low-carbon waste management,renewable sources of energy, low carbon development in the energy industry and energy efficiency.

These companies have remarkable track record and will pursue the bilateral dialogue between France and India.  While some of these companies already have co-operation with India,others are looking forward to developing news areas of cooperation.

France is proposing that India support some promising projects. The institutional co-operation between the French Agency for Energy Management and the Indian Bureau of Energy Efficiency have helped to foster a good mutual understanding. The recent establishment of the French Development Agency in India has opened new avenues in the area of climate change initiatives. France is ready to finance feasibility studies and technical assistance,done by the best French engineering companies,to offer innovative solutions to the environmental challenges of India. And France is also interested in developing co-operation to help companies to make better use of clean development mechanisms in India.

I have brought together the best of French know-how to India,with a strong government impetus. I strongly believe that India figures prominently in the group of 13 to 15 responsible powers. President Sarkozy foresees that this group would take the lead on the 21st century world stage,and would have key partnership with France.

The writer is France’s minister of state for foreign trade,currently visiting India to inaugurate the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit.