Green Economy To Drive Indo-German Cooperation: Harsh Vardhan

Third Indo-German Environment Forum with the theme "Cleaner Air, Greener Economy" was organized. The one-day event through panel discussions and parallel sessions focus on challenges, solutions and necessary framework conditions of air pollution control, waste management and the circular economy as well as the implementation of NDCs and SDGs based on Paris Agreement and Agenda 2030 of UN respectively.

Inaugurating the forum Union Environment Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that India and Germany have had a rich cooperation engagement for the last 60 year which extends to sectors such as natural resource management, urban environment protection, climate change adaptation and mitigation and innovative green technologies. He further emphasized that the Indo-German bilateral relations are founded on common democratic principles and today, Germany is amongst India's most important partners both bilaterally and in the global context. “India’s development trajectory focuses on 5 Ps that is People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership. The bilateral cooperation in future should focus on marine litter, SDG and NDC implementation, climate change adaptation and Forestry.”

The Federal Environment Minister from Germany Svenja Schulze said that progress and implementation of 2030 agenda is slow and window of opportunity for low carbon economy is dwindling and Government, Industry and Society should do more. She congratulated the Indian Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi on cooperating with UNEP on addressing plastic pollution during the World Environment Day hosted by India on June 05, 2018 and also welcomed India’s commitment to create circular economy. She further stated that Indo-German Environment Forum needs to build on experience exchange and cooperation will be strengthened in the areas of marine litter, waste to energy, biodiversity, waste and water.

Around 250 representatives of ministries, business and science as well as non-governmental organizations participated in the forum, which is organized by the two environment ministries in cooperation with the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business and the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Forum provided a platform for the bilateral exchange of high-level policy-makers and other key players on international environmental and climate policy and cooperation between the two countries.

The four working groups met this year in the run-up to this forum, to discuss the progress made and to bring in new topics of mutual benefits. Few of the outcomes have been cooperation in field of marine litter, air pollution control, waste management, water pollution, circular economy, NDC implementation, SDG monitoring and climate change (with focus on forestry and adaptation).

Two Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) were also exchanged between Mr. S.P. Singh Parihar, Chairman CPCB and Ms. Maria Krautzberger, President Umweltbundesamt (UBA-the German Environment Agency) on (i) clean air and combatting air pollution and on (ii) preparation of Reference /COINDS Documents for textile sector. CPCB, UBA, GIZ-India with MoEFCC, will take it forward.