National manufacturing policy to factor in environmental concerns

NEW DELHI - The government is set to incorporate environmental issues in its new national manufacturing policy which will be finalised shortly, said a senior government official Wednesday.

Industrial Policy and Promotion Department Secretary R.P. Singh said this in his address to a function organised to flag off preparations for holding Asia’s largest international fair to showcase environmental-friendly technologies and products.

“As a developing nation, we are learning to recognize the difficulties and efforts required to operationalise the meaning and content of sustainable development,” he said.

Singh said the government has already initiated 8 national missions and taken several other critical steps to meet its national and international obligation to preserve and protect the environment.

“To further catalyse these initiatives we are going to bring about a new National Manufacturing Policy which at its core visualises integrating environmental issues into growth objective to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation by encouraging adoption of green and clean technologies, promotion of green purchasing network and to incentivise adoption,” said Singh.

Asia’s largest fair on green products and technologies, rechristened Eco Products International Fair (EPIF)-2011, is scheduled to be held March 3-6, next year in Delhi’s Pragati Maidan.

The function was also attended by Secretary-General Shigeo Takenaka, of Tokyo-based Asian Productivity Organization, Chairman Takashi Yamagishi of EPIF 2011 Preparatory Committee and National Productivity Council’s Director General N.C. Vasudevan.

Yamagishi explained the role of Japanese private sector in promoting sustainable development through environmental protection measures.

He emphasized that objectives of manufacturing various products through environment-friendly technologies could be met only through a strong partnerships between the public and private sectors as well as developed and developing countries.

The EPIF 2011 is being held to promote and disseminate information on eco-friendly technologies, products and services that enhance sustainable sustainable productivity.