The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the concluding day of the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit on Saturday in New Delhi.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of India’s Planning Commission and Mr Bharrat Jagdeo, former president of Guyana. The latter is also on the board of the GGGI.
TERI Director General Dr RK Pachauri said the agreement would complement the adoption of green growth policies that in turn could enhance competitiveness and resilience. According to Dr Pachauri, the initiative is important as policy environments enable investments to shift towards low carbon, resource efficient industries and business models.
The two Indian states chosen for implementing the MoU are Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. Both states have realised the need for multi-sectoral scientific cooperation for carbon-smart growth.
Jason Eis from the GGGI explained that through the MoU, the institute would support a coalition of the willing to achieve effective green growth strategies. Sustainable development, he said, hinged on a holistic vision that considers the co-benefits in terms of the environment, economic growth and social inclusion.  And it will hinge on transformative change across critical sectors like energy, transport and agriculture.
“To achieve this challenging and complicated transformation, we need robust policy planning and implementation,” Eis said, explaining that mainstreaming required diligent and flexible efforts, since no country has got it right so far. “This will involve strategic choices with major implications for public resources, as any sector encompasses a number of alternative choices with very different planning implications,” he explained.