March 5, 2002

‘30’

    The Minister for Environment and Forests, Shri T.R. Baalu has stated that India’s commitment to protect the environment is well-known and it has emerged as the key priority in the national planning. Inaugurating the Conference on Ecological Refrigeration (ECOFRIG) in New Delhi today, Shri Baalu said that growing population coupled with the increased industrial activity has caused excessive demand and use of natural resources leading to the degeneration of environment. But, the Government not only recognises but also seeks to ensure that economic development and ecological security go hand in hand.

    Talking on ECOFRIG project, Shri Baalu called it a shining example of the North-South cooperation as well as Public Private partnership. "It is a unique bilateral programme, with support from the Government of Germany, and the Government of Switzerland. This programme has been taken up to introduce new technology in the refrigeration sector and also provide opportunity to training small service agencies to handle the new refrigerants. I am pleased to see that the members of Industry, Scientific Community, Press, NGOs, Officials and Non-Officials have joined hands for the cause of promoting eco-friendly technology and products. ECOFRIG project has resulted in reducing the consumption of Ozone Depleting Substances and at the same time, conserving energy through adoption of energy efficient technologies. The project addresses cross cutting issues relating to protection of Ozone Layer and reducing Global Warming".

    Shri Baalu announced that India is hosting the Eighth Conference of Parties to United Nations Framework on Climate Change Convention between 23^rd October 2002 to 1^st November 2002. It is desired that the Scientific Community, Institutions and Centres of Excellence will participate in the COP8 in a big way so that together it will be able to register success in capacity building, awareness creation and exchange to scientific information. He said that such joint action will be vital for tackling the challenge of Climate Change and also energizing people to understand the implications and undertake adaptive measures to face the global challenge.