India Releases National Action Plan on Climate Change

India's Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh unveiled the National Action Plan on Climate Change which was prepared by the Prime Ministers' Council on Climate Change. The objective of the climate change action plan is to establish an effective, cooperative and equitable global approach based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and relative capabilities enshrined in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). The National Action Plan reflected the importance the Government attaches to mobilizing our national energies to meet the challenge of climate change said Prime Minister.

The action plan will be implemented thorough eight national priority missions which represent multi-pronged, long-term and integrated strategies for achieving key goals in the context of climate change and agriculture including solar energy; enhanced energy efficiency; sustainable habitat; conserving water; sustaining the Himalayan ecosystem; a "Green India"; sustainable agriculture; and set up strategic knowledge platform for climate hange.

Full copy of the National Action Plan on Climate Change and the Prime Minister's speech during the launch ceremony are available at http://www.pmindia.nic.in/Pg01-52.pdf and http://mnes.nic.in/nap-climates.htm. For more information about biotech development in India contact: b.choudhary@isaaa.org and k.gaur@cgiar.org