Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who discussed climate change with Indian officials at the ITC Green Building here on Sunday, said she hoped India and the U.S. would be able to amplify the partnership.

“Challenge and opportunity”

Pointing out that both nations need to take up the responsibility of clearing up greenhouse gas emissions, Ms. Clinton said: “The United States does not and will not limit India’s economic progress.” India’s development was in everyone’s interest. Fighting climate change was both a challenge and an opportunity.

Washington believed that there was a way to eradicate poverty and develop in a sustainable way that would help to lower the carbon footprint significantly. “We, along with other developed countries, have contributed significantly to the problem that we face with climate change. We are hoping that a great country like India will not make the same mistakes.”

She expressed confidence that both India and the U.S. would be successful in devising a plan to change the way the two countries produced, consumed and conserved energy.

Following a roundtable with Indian officials, including Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh, she said the private sector could play a role in sustainable development.

Ms. Clinton, who was accompanied by U.S. special envoy on climate change Todd Stern, said if all government buildings emulated the ITC’s Green Building, it would help to cut global emission and save money.

She described the building as a “monument,” equating it with such monuments as the India Gate and the Taj Mahal.

India should cut down on its emissions and focus attention on renewable sources of energy. Between now and 2030, India’s greenhouse gas emission was projected to grow by 50 per cent, she said.

Putting forth India’s views on climate change and emissions, Mr. Ramesh said the country’s position was clear, credible and consistent. He scoffed at the perception that India was running away from mitigation.

The government was ensuring that the economic growth was ecologically sustainable — the GDP was increasingly seen as Green Domestic Product and not just Gross Domestic Product. India’s comprehensive National Action Plan on Climate Change was driven primarily by adaptation imperatives, but it did not neglect what should be done for mitigation.

On India’s stand against the Obama administration’s proposals for limits on carbon emissions, he said India was not in a position to accept any legally binding reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

“I want to say that both sides have agreed on the need for partnerships, concrete partnerships on projects in fields like energy efficiency, solar energy, biomass, energy-efficient buildings of the type that you are seeing here today.” Reiterating India’s commitment to sustainable development, he said.

“India is very conscious of the local impacts of climate change and will never allow its per capita emissions to exceed those of the developed countries.” Even with an 89 per cent increase in the Gross Domestic Product every year for the next decade or two, India’s per capita emissions would be well below those of the developed countries.

The Minister also highlighted India’s commitment to combating global warming and cooperation for the success of the Copenhagen summit in December. It is organised to find a successor to the Kyoto Protocol that expires in 2012.