EU and India cooperate to tackle waste management

Although India has low carbon emission levels they are taking stricter measures to tackle climate change with Europe’s support.

The additional secretary of the Ministry of Environment Susheel Kumar spoke at the ‘7th EU-India Environment Forum’ which focuses on resources efficiency and the circular economy in meeting environmental challenges. 

He said: “Our co-processing of hazardous waste is not even 1 per cent. And, there is a tremendous scope of co-operation with the European countries. If you see growth and pollution linkage … we have traditionally a sustainable lifestyle, and our emission per unit of GDP (gross domestic product) is much lower than any other country at this stage of economy”.

Kumar expressed that the degree of legislative authorities that are aware of the waste management issue will certainly enable a suitable business model for cooperation between India and European countries, however he stresses that the matter does not need to be expedited.

The Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union to India, Joao Cravinho, opened the Forum stating that India’s and the EU’s partnership is moving towards a more sustainable growth model. 

Kumar said: “We need to look how we can make markets for secondary raw material work better and how we can create business models that are more resource efficient… How we can encourage design, durability, repair-ability, recyclability to provide predictability and clarity for investor and business”.

Kumar also proposed to take the Indian environmental legislative framework on board the discussion during the Forum and sought “concrete outcomes” at the end of it.