NEW DELHI: In a major announcement, TERI in association with The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) signed an MoU for Green Growth and Development on the concluding day of its flagship event, The Delhi Sustainable Development Summit 2013.

GGGI-TERI initiative is envisaged to be a transdisciplinary research framework that will include three activity areas pertinent to sustainable development namely integrated systems modeling; rural development and green growth, and urban development and green growth.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. R.K. Pachauri, Director General, TERI said, "This initiative will be a participatory initiative involving state and local government to understand growth which is inclusive and green."

Congratulating TERI and GGGI, Guest of honour, Mr. Bharat Jagdeo, Former President of Guyana said, "The initiative will benefit from learning from experiences from other countries. Organizations like TERI can work with progressive governments in providing solutions to the society."

Speaking at the occasion, Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Hon'ble Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Government of India said, "This initiative is applauded and we hope that this will help in understanding development challenges."

Dr. Jason Eis, Deputy Director, GGGI, India said, "This initiative will help in understanding good pathways for good policies."

Over the past several years, TERI has carried out various assessments of development related environmental issues to inform better management of India's natural resources.

The three activity areas of the initiative will include: Sectoral Analysis for India and two states (Himachal Pradesh and Punjab) where sectoral experts will design indicators and key intervention related recommendations. An exercise related to integrated systems modeling will also be attempted. This will include spatial analysis, biophysical modeling and macro-economic modeling; Rural development and green growth will include two components - the first component, an institutional analysis around government and non-government interventions related to employment, agriculture, and health in rural areas; the second component will include cost-benefit analysis of technologies relevant to poverty alleviation and human development; Urban development and green growth will include analysis of interventions and sectors relevant to urban service delivery. Activities will be directed in research and analysis, stakeholder consultation and understanding models for urban service delivery for four distinct cities in India.

Some of the eminent guests present at the ceremony included Dr. Jason Eis, Deputy Director, GGGI, London Office; Dr.S.S. Negi, Director, Deptartment of Environment Science and Technology, Government of Himachal Pradesh; Dr. Karan Avtar Singh, Principal Secretary, Department of Indutries and Commerce, Government of Punjab; Mr. Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary, Department of Science, Technology, and Environment, Government of Punjab among others.

About The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI):

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is a not-for-profit, policy research organization working in the fields of energy, environment and sustainable development. TERI now has staff strength of over 1200 dedicated employees, drawn from a range of disciplines and experience, supported by infrastructure and facilities, which are world class and distinctively state-of-the-art. The Institute continues to grow in size, spread and intensity of work undertaken which includes grassroots interventions related to clean energy and human well-being.

About The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI):

GGGI is a new kind of international organization - interdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder and driven by emerging and developing countries. It has been established by several forward-thinking governments to maximize the opportunity for "bottom up" progress on climate change and other environmental challenges within core economic policy and business strategies.

Primary Media Contact: Zainab Naeem, zainab.naeem@teri.res.in, 91-8800286575

Secondary Media Contact: Samarth Pathak, samarth.pathak@teri.res.in, 91-9811347927