By KUNA
New Delhi : Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday called for fair, equitable and transparent global regime for technology transfers and assured that his government would adopt a responsible and forward looking stance aimed at promoting sustainable development.
Delivering his inaugural address at the three-day “Delhi Sustainable Development Summit” that began today, the prime minister said that the impact of climate change falls differently on people and the poor are the worst hit.
“We need technology innovations for reduction of energy use by industry and other user sectors … We need massive action for afforestation, drought proofing, flood protection and the need to protect our coastal areas and glaciers that feed our river systems,” Dr Manmohan Singh stressed.
He emphasised the need to ensure an acceptable standard of living for all following sustainable path for that development.
He pointed to India’s National Plan of Action on Climate Change that would be released in June, adding that at the international level, India would continue to engage with all nations to strengthen global initiatives in the area of climate change.
The inaugural session of the summit was attended by Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Iceland President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Finland Prime Minister Matti Vanhenen.
At the summit, the leaders will discuss climate change in a situation where Green House Gas emissions into the atmosphere are already affecting agricultural output, increasing frequency and damage caused by droughts, floods and storms and raising sea levels across the world, but mainly in the tropics and sub-tropics.