WASHINGTON 21 MAY - US ENERGY Secretary Bill Richardson has admitted that "without India there is not going to be ratification of the Kyoto Treaty" on climate change. Speaking to participants at an Indo-US Business Dialogue on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here, Richardson said, "Unless there is a change of heart in government policies and there is a rapid change in actual positions this (the Kyoto Treaty) is not going to happen." 

He said that "India is at the centre of a committed global push to address climate change. And more applicable to our meeting today, you, the private sector are the key to India's activity on this issue." "I want you to invite me to India. I want to go to India and I want to see what we can do together," he said. "Not just for American technology, but for our department cooperating with you and being part of the solution that you are hammering out here in this CDM." 

The dialogue on CDM brought together leaders in Indian and US business to discuss the economic and environmental potential of the CDM and specifically, to explore the business opportunities presented by the CDM. The high-powered CII delegation of CEOs was led by the organisation's president Rahul Bajaj, chairman and managing director of Bajaj Auto Limited. Bajaj in enthusiastically inviting Richardson to India, however noted, "Indians are very humble people, but we have our little pride. So we don't want all the money that your department has, but please remove these sanctions." 

Earlier, the CII delegation and its American business counterparts met with senior Administration officials at the White House, including White House Chief of Staff John Podesta as well as several of President Clinton's special aides. The delegation also met with Senator Joe Lieberman and Reps Benjamin Gilman who chairs the International Relations Committee and Richard Gephardt, who is the House Minority Leader. 

In his speech, Richardson said, "change must come from within; the Government of India must hear the democratic call of the CDM from you and from its citizens. For there to be significant change, it is necessary for you - as chief executives and business leaders - to basically lead the way and bring your considerable diplomatic and business acumen to bear on the issue." Richardson said, "technology and business is going to be the engine for the Clean Development Mechanism. Business is going to be responsible if there is eventually, in this millennium or beyond a ratification of the Kyoto Treaty. If there is going to be a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions." - IANS

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