Water security key in climate change plan: Jairam Ramesh

October 3rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - India has proposed annual bilateral dialogues with the United States and the European Union to exchange notes on the issue of climate change, Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh has said. The proposed dialogue with the Europeans and the Americans could be on the lines of the first India-China energy dialogue scheduled to take place in New Delhi Oct 21, he said at a press conference here Friday at the end of his US visit.

September 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Urbanisation, irresponsible tourism, overuse of water, badly planned power and infrastructure projects and deforestation are all affecting the Himalayas, acknowledged a report released by the government here Tuesday. Prepared by the Almora-based G.B.

September 25th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Indian ministers Farooq Abdullah and Jairam Ramesh will take part in the US-India Energy Partnership Summit to be held here Oct 1 aimed at contributing to the ongoing high-level India-US dialogue areas such as renewable energy, climate change and technological innovation. The summit will support the dialogue on how to promote enabling policies for the rapid development and deployment of green technologies in both the US and India and the opportunities for partnership.

September 18th, 2009 LONDON - Indian plans to set numerical targets for curbing greenhouse gas emissions were described Friday as a breakthrough that challenges the US and other rich nations over climate change action. Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh told The Times of London legislation was being drafted to limit India's carbon footprint ahead of a UN climate change summit in Copenhagen December.

September 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, said on Wednesday that India is looking forward to a fair and equitable agreement at Copenhagen meet on climate change. "We are definitely looking forward to Copenhagen.

September 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday urged the SAARC countries to develop a combined mechanism to mitigate problems of green house gas emission leading to climate change. Addressing SAARC Clean Development Mechanism Conference here today, he said the, environment has trans-border implications, and hence, the issue has to be dealt with in the same manner.

August 23rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Steps to boost India's energy efficiency, including mandatory efficiency ratings for everyday equipment, are expected to get the go-ahead when the Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change meets here Monday. In India's National Action Plan on Climate Change unveiled June 30, 2008, energy efficiency has been identified as one of the eight principal ways in which the country will fight global warming.

August 19th, 2009 CHENNAI - The central government will soon set up a national authority to enforce environmental laws, minister Jairam Ramesh said Wednesday. "At the state environment and forest ministers' meeting yesterday (Tuesday) in Delhi, there was a broad agreement on this aspect.

July 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, has said that India will never allow its per capita emissions to exceed that of the developed countries. In his opening remarks at ITC Green Building event organized in connection with the visit of U.S.

July 19th, 2009 GURGAON - Underlining differences with developed countries over climate change, Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh Sunday said India can't accept legally binding greenhouse emission targets. "I like to make it clear and categorical that we are simply not in position to take on legal binding on emission reduction targets," Ramesh said at a conference on climate change at the ITC Green Centre in this satellite town of Delhi.

June 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Climate change is one of three issues that dominate the international agenda today; the others are terrorism and the global financial crisis. India's Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh is now keen to ensure that climate change becomes part of the "domestic political discourse".

June 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday ruled out to use climate as a non-tariff barrier and any attempt to introduce climate change as a topic for discussion at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) meetings. Jairam's remarks came on Tuesday in reaction to a report from the WTO saying trade concerns should be subjugated to climate change issues.

February 28th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Congress president Sonia Gandhi Saturday appointed former union minister Jairam Ramesh as the party's co-ordinator for the coming Lok Sabha elections. 'The Congress president has approved the appointment of Jairam Ramesh as co-ordinator for Lok Sabha elections-related affairs,' a statement released by Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said.

February 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Minister of State for Commerce, Industry and Power Jairam Ramesh resigned from the council of ministers Wednesday to concentrate on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Ramesh, who is a Rajya Sabha member from the Congress, told IANS: 'Yes, I have resigned as a minister.' Asked about the reasons, he said: 'To concentrate on campaigning yaar (friend).'

February 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's wheat production has stagnated in the last 10-15 years and scientists have told the government this is due to climate change, Minister of State for Power Jairam Ramesh said here Wednesday. 'The scientists have told us that the mean and maximum temperatures in north India have gone up by 1-1.5 degrees Celsius in February, which is the crucial month for deciding how good the wheat yield will be,' Ramesh said.