Russia wants joint thrust by BRICS on developing green economy

Terming the development of the green economy for sustainable development as the most "pressing" global agenda, Russia today advocated a combined effort by the BRICS countries for implementing eco-friendly initiatives and priorities.
It also said that future cooperation with India on "pressing" issues like water resources treatment, environment security and decrease of dangerous emissions will be discussed in "detail" at the BRICS summit, scheduled to take place later this year in Moscow.
"During the BRICS meeting of environment ministers, we have chosen specially the topic of development of green economy... Resolution of environmental problems and competitiveness of business in the context of green economy.

"We believe it is the most pressing agenda for all the world," said Russian Environment Minister Sergei Donskoi, who is currently on a visit to India.
He said that at the meeting of the environment ministers, Russia will also discuss the probable mechanism and technologies for implementing these priorities in the economy as part of a policy for increasing the quality of life in BRICS countries, which comprise Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
"We would like to suggest that the effort of the BRICS countries should be combined and put together for implementing green initiatives and priorities in our economies so as to increase its competitiveness and business attractiveness," the minister said.

"As per the focusses of our future co-operation in the framework of BRICS, it is the focus on issues most pressing for us... It is water resources treatment, security of environment, decrease of dangerous emissions.

"I hope that the Moscow meeting will discuss it in a more detailed way," said Donskoi.
The Russian Minister said that his country will also discuss approaches for development of green technologies which would be useful for elimination of past ecological damage and for implementation of green economy through development of legislation.
At the end of the discussion in Moscow in April, a sort of a roadmap would be drawn up, a document, which would fix the achieved result of the meeting and also define future projects and plans for further implementing these ideas and priorities, he added.

"We discussed the draft of the document and we gave it to the Indian Environment Minister (Prakash Javadekar). We are now expecting further discussions on this with our Indian colleagues," he said.