Govt to set up panel on green accounting

Prof Sir Partha Dasgupta of Cambridge University will head a high-level expert panel to evaluate the impact of economic growth on the environment.

“The Planning Commission and the Environment Ministry will soon set up a high-level expert group under the Chairmanship of Sir Partha Dasgupta of Cambridge University,” the Environment Minister, Mr Jairam Ramesh , told reporters here.

Economists Mr Vijay Kelkar, Mr Kirit Parikh and Mr Nitin Desai will also be part of the expert group, which will create a roadmap for green national accounts.

“By 2015, we would not only report the real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as is normally understood, but would also report the GDP after taking into account the environmental costs and impacts,” Mr Ramesh said. The expert group will start its work very soon, Mr Ramesh said adding it is part of the process to make clear what are the environmental and ecological implications of high GDP growth. “We are not questioning the need for high GDP growth. We must fully understand what the impact of this high GDP growth is going to be on our biodiversity and ecology,” he said. The Environment Minister had recently questioned the country's nine per cent GDP growth. He had contended that if the impact on environment and biodiversity loss had been taken into consideration, the growth would have been only around 5.5 or 6 per cent per cent.

Preparing for 12th Plan

Commenting on the report of the Expert Group on Low Carbon Strategies for Inclusive Growth, Mr Ramesh said it is important for preparation of the 12th Five Year Plan. There will be a final report early next year. “Even the low carbon pathways will include some trade-offs. Some choices have to be made. The country knows very clearly what the trade offs are,” Mr Ramesh said.

Endorsing Mr Ramesh's views, Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, said “Growth should be sustainable and it is desirable that we should reduce emissions intensity”.