The Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar has said that Government’s initiatives to tap cleaner sources of energy reflected India’s commitment to pursue and practice clean and sustainable development. As a fast developing economy, climate adaptation measures along with mitigation formed the defining factor in India’s approach towards development. He also emphasized the need to alter the energy mix in favour of renewable energy sources so that a balanced approach towards development and environment conservation could be evolved. Shri Javadekar stated this while giving a joint statement with Dr. Barbara Hendricks, Minister for Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, of Germany here today.
Also speaking on the occasion, Dr. Barbara Hendricks has said that Indian and German governments held similar positions for the Post-2015 agenda on Climate Change. Both Countries needed sustainable development goals that address all three dimensions of sustainability – economic, ecological and social aspects – equally. Germany was ready to share with India its experience in adapting to sustainable development models, the German Minister said. In a Bilateral Meeting held here, both the countries have decided to set up two Working Groups - One on Circular Economy and the other on Water Management. The Ministers stated that the focus of the working group would be restoration of water bodies, waste management, and more efficient use of water resources. Both the Ministers emphasized that the UN Climate Summit in Lima had laid the foundations for negotiations on a new global climate agreement which would be adopted in the Climate Change Conference to be held in Paris later this year.