Welcome Address 
by Dr R K Pachauri, Director, TERI

Rt. Honourable Mr John Prescott, Deputy Prime Minister of Great Britain, Your Excellency Dame Veronica Sutherland, Deputy Secretary General of the Commonwealth Secretariat, Your Excellency Mr Nareshwar Dayal, High Commissioner of India to Britain, Members of the Board of Directors and the Advisory Board of TERI-Europe, distinguished ladies and gentlemen!

Today is a day of great significance to the staff of TERI and its various units. We are entering an era when the future of the human race, and indeed its very survival, would depend on the harnessing of knowledge at an unprecedented level in all our endeavours. Meeting the challenge of sustainable progress for all sections of human society would require partnerships, collaborative efforts and flows of knowledge beyond national boundaries, because problems, in any part of the globe cannot remain confined. They would have impacts across the world. An example of this lies in the threat of climate change. As a Vice-Chairman of the IPCC, I am involved in and deeply impressed by the huge scientific collaboration that is on as part of the Third Assessment Report of this inter-governmental body. But it is also essential for non-official organizations like TERI involved in grassroots level actions in the developing world and policy analysis at the global level to seek partnerships and linkages with other organizations, in both North and South, to find solutions for protecting the planet and to improve the lives of the least privileged.

It is in this spirit that we have taken the step of establishing a unit of TERI in Europe, duly approved by the Charity Commission. Nine years ago TERI established a separate entity under the laws of the US as TERI-North America in Washington, DC. Our chief guest at the official launch of TERI-NA was Vice President (then senator) Al Gore. Teri also has staff located in Germany, Russia and Japan, and three centres in India apart from its major presence in New Delhi.

But the TERI-Europe initiative is as yet symbolic. We have a long way to go and many tasks to accomplish before we can come close to meeting the promise of this new development. In this we would need a great deal of help and support from the distinguished group assembled here today and from others. TERI is a non-profit, independent institute, and we have grown to a global size of over 500 persons basically with support from a variety of sources for activities that we implement. This is also a measure of the goodwill and interest we have been able to generate among many sponsors of our activities, because no unit of TERI receives any recurring grant from any source. Our financial autonomy ensures our professional autonomy.

May I mention in closing our sense of delight and privilege in having the Honorable Deputy Prime Minister in our midst today. We have been honoured with your presence, Sir, at events organized, by us at TERI in New Delhi and the encouragement and inspiration from those visits has been enormous and of lasting value. We are sure that today when we need your support and encouragement even more we would not be presumptuous in looking forward to it. We would at the same time assure you that we would do our utmost to make TERI-Europe successful as an enterprise that is responsive to the needs of today and the challenges of tomorrow.

Welcome note  
by Dame Veronica Sutherland, Deputy Secretary-General of the Commonwealth

The goals of TERI-Europe fit very well with the activities of the Commonwealth Secretariat in general and the Commonwealth Science Council in particular.

The Commonwealth Secretariat is committed to assist member countries to implement the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and prepare for the eventual Kyoto Protocol obligations and the Clean Development Mechanism. The CSC is presently engaged in developing a South Asia programme on renewable energy and climate change that will address problems related to the commercialization of renewable energy technologies as an important means for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Tata Energy Research Institute in New Delhi is our key partner and focal point for these activities in India. We hope that with the establishment of TERI-Europe, we will see more of such partnerships and linkages.

In keeping with the Agenda 21 and Rio Conventions on sustainable development, the Commonwealth Secretariat’s programmes on water and biodiversity are also closely linked to the climate change and eco-efficiency agenda. We hope that TERI-Europe’s activities in London on these related issues will be complementary to those of the Secretariat’s and that we will be able to work together to implement the objectives of sustainable development amongst our member countries.

The Commonwealth Knowledge Network, set up by the CSC to facilitate exchange of information and seek solutions to common problems amongst its members, is another example where synergies between the work of COMSEC and TERI-Europe can be forged. The objective of TERI-Europe to act as an information broker for European partners, can be supported by the Commonwealth Knowledge Network in areas and problems that are of mutual interest. Tata Energy Research Institute and other organizations in India can benefit from the activities of the COMSEC in other parts of the world, and vice versa, through the Commonwealth Knowledge Network.

Given that there are several areas of mutual interest between the work of the COMSEC and the proposed objectives of TERI-Europe, we are happy to welcome TERI-Europe as a partner in building capacity, providing technical advice and analyses. It would also be our endeavour to see that the benefits of this collaboration and partnership is not limited to India alone but also spreads to other countries of the Commonwealth.

With these few words I am delighted to welcome you all to the inauguration and launch of TERI-Europe.

Address  
by Shri Nareshwar Dayal, High Commissioner of India to Britain

Mr Deputy Prime Minister, Lady Sutherland, Dr Pachauri, ladies and gentlemen . . . I am fortunate today for all that is wise has already been said or will be said after me!

It is clearly one of the most inspirational and exciting evenings for me since my arrival here just ten days ago. The objectives of TERI have a national, regional, bilateral, and global significance of very immediate relevance to all of us. It is not only officially very relevant; I would like to strike a personal note here. I have a very direct adversarial relationship with pollution. I go around with broncho-dilators in my own city of Delhi! I wish you Godspeed in whatever you are trying to do!

Sir, we deeply value the ongoing dialogue with the United Kingdom related to environment and sustainable development. In fact, the formal launch of TERI–Europe is really the culmination of an idea with which the leaders of our two countries have been closely associated. You, sir, [Rt Hon’ble Mr John Prescott] have been personally involved throughout. The Environment Ministers of both sides have exchanged visits and held close consultations. We are very confident that this initiative will promote Indo-British economic ties, better understanding on trade policy matters, and of course, special linkages on environmental issues. We especially look forward to various programmes leading to the selection of appropriate technologies and the establishment of Internet-based information systems where, I think, India will have something very definite to offer.

I think TERI’s presence in the UK signifies two other things. It emphasizes the importance of what Dr Pachauri called ‘non-official contacts’ in a relationship. I say that with a heavy heart, coming as I do from a family of bureaucrats that traces its history back to the glorious days of the Mughals in India, but it is terribly important for our relationship. And, of course, TERI here will act as a bridge between India, UK and the rest of Europe. I think this itself emphasizes the importance of London, of India, and to some extent, of Europe.

There has been a very special focus on India where the issues of the environment are conflicting and extremely difficult. However, we are very encouraged by the fact that the initial seminars and consultations that have been held have focused on the urban transport sector and the negative environmental impacts of vehicles in this sector. These two seminars really devoted attention to this matter.

We have taken very serious note of the Deputy Prime Minister ’s suggestion that Indian families should not be multi-vehicle families. As Delhiwallahs, we especially wish for a reduction in pollution levels, and I believe that vehicles account for almost 60%–65% of all pollution.

So, Godspeed again and while doing so, would you also kindly look at our river Yamuna and try and restore to it some of the original purity and if I may say so, spirituality. I recall what my Minister when he was here recently requested me. During the Deputy Prime Minister’s visit to Delhi, he said, ‘If you. Sir, can clear our air and make our river a little purer, we shall forever be indebted to you.’With that, may I close and wish TERI all success.

Inaugural speech 
by the Rt Hon'ble Mr John Prescott, Deputy Prime Minister of Britain

 Introduction

Thank you, Dr Pachauri, for inviting me to open TERI’s London Office today. Your were kind enough to organize and host a sustainable transport seminar in Delhi in December on my behalf and I am delighted to be here with you this evening.

TERI’s office

It is a bold and impressive move of TERI’s to open up an office in London. We often think of organizations from Britain setting up offices in India and other developing countries. It is wonderful to see it happening the other way round. I firmly believe that the exchange of ideas between our countries is something we can all benefit from. Not that you would believe it from reading the British press. I visited India twice last year. The British press was not interested in the real and important issues that I discussed on those trips. They were not interested in the continuing good relations between our country of 60 million people and the one billion people of India. They were just interested in silly personal stories. The Indian press was very different. They took relations between our countries seriously. They reported our climate change talks, the agreement we reached to reopen UK/India air rights negotiation and the progress we made on sustainable transport issues. These are important issues where negotiations, talking, and the exchange of ideas are the way forward to bring about a better quality of life, not just in this country or India, but globally. I believe our relations with India are important. They are important for trade and security, but they are also important to our many citizens of Indian descent and the many British people who live in and visit India. I am happy to continue to give time and energy to our good relations. Dr Pachauri, your institutions has a strong track record in research and assessment of sustainable development issues, particularly on energy and the environment. I believe we have a lot to learn from your experience and insights in dealing with these issues in India. Your recent publication Green India 2047 provides an excellent survey and forward look at the environmental issues facing India over the next 50 years which we can do well to learn from. I hope TERI’s presence in London will stimulate greater understanding of the issues facing developing countries and of the opportunities for growth and for development that exist whilst taking into account the important consideration of sustainable use of natural resources and protection of the environment.

Transport

As I mentioned earlier, TERI hosted a sustainable transport seminar in Delhi at which I gave the opening address. As most of you will know, I believe strongly that transport should be developed to support environmental, social, and economic objectives. Transport is a clear example where closer links between developed and developing countries are essential if developing countries are to learn from our successes – but also from our mistakes. It is certainly not the case that we in developed countries have always got our transport policies right. If you look at a map of London a hundred years ago, it is criss-crossed with hundreds of miles of tram lines. Today there are no trams in London – that’s the kind of mistake we made. We believed we didn’t need trams because cars were the answer. We now know otherwise. The number of cars on our roads has increased dramatically as our prosperity has increased. In the UK, over 25% of households now have 2 or more cars with significant numbers having 3 or even 4 cars. I don’t deny that wider car ownership can bring benefits in terms of increased mobility and that an efficient transport system helps to support a strong and prosperous economy. But the level of car use in Britain also has disadvantages. It causes congestion, damages our health and environment, and puts increased pressure on limited natural resources. We’re trying to put this right, for example by promoting better quality, more efficient public transport. We want people to realize that using public transport more, cycling more, and walking more means less congestion, less pollution, less energy consumption and, therefore, a better quality of life. But it’s proving difficult to get people out of their cars. Over the years we’ve under-invested in public transport in the UK and allowed it to become a second-class system – a system to be used only by those who don’t have a car. In the UK, we are learning an expensive lesson. Developing countries would do well to learn from our mistakes and maintain their investment in public transport!

Ministerial agreement on sustainable transport

I am delighted that the UK and India have established good links on transport issues. These are set to strengthen still further following the ministerial agreement that I and Environmental Minister Baalu [Mr T R Baalu, ] signed in December during my visit to India. This paves the way for closer cooperation between the UK and India on measures to promote sustainable transport and reduce the environmental impact of road transport. We will be working together on technology transfer, the development of air quality strategies, the development of an inspection and maintenance regime, cleaner fuels and technologies, promoting public transport and raising awareness of public transport issues. My Department is developing an action plan with Indian colleagues to help deliver the various initiatives outlined in the ministerial agreement. We will be working closely with Indian ministries, public transport operators, and research organizations such as TERI to take the plan forward and to develop practical proposals for implementing sustainable transport policies in India.

Climate change

An environmental issue, which is particularly close to my heart, is climate change. It presents us all – in developed and developing countries alike – with a significant challenge. The problem is far reaching and goes to the heart of the way our societies live. Developed countries have accepted that we should take the lead in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and rightly so. The UK takes its obligations seriously and is well on its way to exceeding the aim of returning its emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000. We also have a domestic aim of reducing our carbon dioxide emissions by 20% by 2010 – considerably in excess of our Kyoto target of 12.5%. But developing countries, quite understandably, see their most pressing need is to develop. At the same time, developing countries are generally more vulnerable to climate change. I am encouraged when I hear of the actions that some developing countries are already taking to limit their emissions. I am sure there are solutions for developing countries, which allow them to avoid the mistakes – or at least the more profligate development routes, which we have taken. We need to demonstrate that it is possible to achieve sustainable development by taking action that is good for the economy and good for the environment. This is the approach we have taken in putting together the UK’s domestic climate change programme – putting the emphasis on "win-wins". We have a lot to learn about each other’s perspectives in addressing climate change. I note that TERI has a long track record on climate change. I believe you have been engaged in research in this area since 1988. You have worked closely with the United Nations process and I hope you will continue to develop your work in raising awareness, developing understanding between widely divergent groups, and developing innovative solutions which will enable us to address climate change. I am sure your presence in London will help you and us in this regard and I look forward to keeping in touch with you.

Conclusion

To conclude, can I again welcome TERI to London and express my sincere hope that your new office will stimulate greater understanding and debate of the transport and environmental issues facing developing countries.

Vote of thanks  
by Dr Ritu Kumar, Director, TERI-Europe

Honoured guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to take a few minutes to thank those who have made tonight a success.

We are grateful to the Deputy Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Mr. John Prescott for taking time from his busy schedule to address us at this inaugural session. On behalf of TERI-Europe and the Commonwealth Secretariat, I thank him for his encouragement and support to this new organization.

I would also like to thank His Excellency, the High Commissioner of India, Shri Nareshwar Dayal for addressing this gathering and providing TERI-Europe with invaluable support in organizing this function. His staff at the High Commission have gone out their way to help make the event a success.

A very special word of thanks must go to the Commonwealth Secretariat, and in particular to Dame Veronica Sutherland, Deputy Secretary General as well as Dr. Ken Lum, Secretary of the Commonwealth Science Council, for an unfailing belief in the relevance of this initiative to the work of the Secretariat. The Secretariat, in co-hosting this function has provided TERI-Europe with the right platform to launch its activities.

Staff at the Commonwealth Science Council and the Conference Unit of the Secretariat have worked hard to get the logistics and arrangements right…and I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to them.

Dr. Pachauri, the Director of TERI in India is ofcourse the driving force behind this initiative. It is really his vision, energy and motivation that has resulted in the expansion of TERI beyond India. Though based in New Delhi he is a frequent (and, I might add… a fleeting!) visitor to London. But, I am sure that a TERI presence here will make these visits less fleeting and more frequent.

Finally, I would like to thank you all for being here this evening, despite the somewhat short notice, and the train strike.

I do hope that TERI-Europe will be able to live up to its objectives and expectations and that we will have a chance to work together in the future. As the Director of TERI-Europe, based here in London, I am sure I will have the opportunity to interact with some of you to develop joint initiatives and programmes. I am particularly excited about the possibility of developing partnerships for implementing aspects of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol mechanisms. Another area of importance, where I believe we can learn a great deal from exchange with our UK and European partners, is that of corporate responsibility. We would like to promote an Indian agenda on corporate responsibility that is reflected in better environmental practices, better working conditions and community benefits. It will, we hope, also facilitate and sustain trade and business links between India and the UK as well as other European countries.

This evening, ladies and gentlemen, is only the first step. We look forward to taking the agenda of TERI-Europe forward, together with you.

Thank you.