Legislators come together to discuss climate change in Uttarakhand
The round table ‘Connecting the Dots’ was organised by Confederation of Indian Industry and the British Deputy High Commission Chandigarh.
Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) from across the political spectrum in Uttarakhand met today (7 November 2013) to discuss:
- the role of legislators in increasing Uttarakhand’s resilience to climate change
- ensure an environmentally sustainable growth pathway.
The meeting was organised to coincide with the visit of His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales, to Dehradun, who met legislators during his visit to the Forest Research Institute. Throughout his public life, The Prince of Wales has been concerned about sustainability, efforts to address climate change as well as how to build environmentally, economically and socially sustainable communities.
The Director of the Prince’s International Sustainability Unit, Justin Mundy, was part of the deliberations and shared his insights on how to tackle climate change.
Delivering the Keynote address, Shri Nav Prabhat, MLA & Advisor to the Chief Minister, Uttarakhand on Disaster Management said:
I personally feel that the visit of His Royal Highness and Her Royal Highness to this State is at the most appropriate time when Uttarakhand is trying to cope up with the recent disaster. Himalayas, as the 3rd pole deserves more attention from the world leadership”.
Mr Phil Marker, Counsellor, Energy, Climate Change & Growth, British High Commission, added:
This important discussion demonstrated the real interest here in Uttarakhand amongst legislators, government and industry to tackle climate change. The British High Commission looks forward to continuing this important discussion.
Delivering the special address, Dr S Farooq, Past Chairman Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Uttarakhand State Council said that CII is a very active participant in the policy dialogue on climate change both at the central and state level. He added that the most important aspect of climate change mitigation is grassroots level awareness and engagement as the climate change would impact one and all.
A for policy makers in Uttarakhand was launched by Govind Singh Kunjwal at the round table. The toolkit details the impact of human activities on nature, shares best global and local practices for environment conservation and lays down a road map for a greener future.
For further Information please contact Rachel Brass, First Secretary, Energy and Climate, Energy, Climate and Growth Unit, British High Commission-DFID India, Phone: 011 - 4279 3451 or Vibha Malhotra, Director & Head, CII Uttarakhand State Office, Phone: 0135-2745119.
- A speech by HRH The Prince of Wales at the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, India
Follow UK in India on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, LinkedIn, Storify, Eventbrite, Blogs, Foursqare