India and UK to collaborate on climate change

India and UK will collaborate on climate change research and renewable energy despite their differences over global climate negotiations.

India and UK will collaborate on climate change research and renewable energy despite their differences over global climate negotiations.

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UK’s Energy and Climate Minister Gregory Barker said the two countries could collaborate on research and development and catalyse private sector to invest in renewable energy.

“I met ministers (Jairam) Ramesh and (Faroukh) Abdullah and they were keen on the new collaboration,” Barker told HT on the day UK signed an agreement on sharing expertise on energy efficiency with Bureau of Energy Efficiency. “Both countries are looking at ways to transit into a sustainable low carbon economy.”

Barker, who met Indian business leaders on Thursday, said, “The private sector can bridge the gap between public finance and money required for climate mitigation by the least developed countries,” he said, rejecting developing countries’ demand that the financial pledge in the Copenhagen Accord be met through public finance.