NEW DELHI: Instead of giving advice, global companies should come forward with their plan of action to help developing nations like India reduce carbon emission and protect environment, newly created NITI Aayog’s member Bibek Debroy said today.
“Don’t tell us what to do, unless you are prepared to do something,” Debroy said during a panel discussion organised by the TERI.
He was responding to suggestions made by FMCG giant UnileverCEO Paul Polman, who was also part of the panel.
Polman was of the view that developing countries need to reduce their carbon emission levels with use of new technology and increase their productivity.
Elaborating further Polman said that a cow in India produces half the milk produced by a cow in any other part of the developed nations.
Similarly, he also pointed towards the lower crop yields in India.
In response to Polman’s suggestions about use of non-conventional energy like solar power to reduce emissions in India, Debroy said, “How many MNCs have given us free technology to save environment.”
Stating the government must protect India’s interest, Debroy said, “Environment is important but issue is primarily the function of getting prices and property rights right. The government has taken several initiatives but the problem is that countries with USD 65,000 per capita income force regulations on us where per capita income is USD 1,600. Instead what they can do for India is to open markets to us.”
Chairman of the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) R K Pachauri also echoed Debroy’s views that India should protect its own interest while aligning its environment related policies to the global standards.
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