(a) Whether Indo-US agreement on Environment has been signed recently;
(b) if so, the main features of the agreement;
(c) whether experts of Tata energy Research Institute has raised objection in this regard;
(d) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and
(e) the reaction of the Government thereto?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORRESTS
(SHRI BABU LAL MARANDI)
(a) No Sir. However, a Joint Statement on Cooperation in the field of Energy and Environment was signed between the Union External Affairs Minister and the US Secretary of State on 22.3.2000 at Agra.
(b) The Joint Statement provides the frame-work for cooperation between India and the United States of America in the field of Energy and Environment and further expresses the intention of the two countries to create a Joint Consultative Committee to foster greater bilateral cooperation, Government-to-Government dialogue, and further encourages public and private sector cooperation in these sectors.
(c) & (d) In a published article, the Director of the Tata Energy Research Institute has expressed apprehensions on safeguarding of the interest of India and of other developing countries, involved in negotiations under the Frame-work Convention on Climate Change.
(e) The Government has not taken any commitments that are inconsistent with its position in the ongoing multi-lateral negotiations on environmental issues or with its goals of sustainable economic development.