Al Gore meets Manmohan Singh, discusses climate change

New Delhi, Mar 14 : Former US Vice President and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize Al Gore today met Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh here.

Gore, a campaigner for action to slow down global climate change, reportedly discussed climate change issues and sustainable development with Dr. Singh during their meeting.

Last month Dr. Singh had said India would unveil a national plan to deal with the threat of global warming in June, but it will not commit to any emission targets that risk slowing economic growth.

The Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change will look at setting up a venture capital fund to promote green technologies, increasing energy efficiency and combating the possible impact of climate change on millions of India's poor.

India with a fast growing economy with over eight percent annual growth rate in recent years has emerged among the world's top polluters contributing around four percent of global greenhouse gas emissions as its consumption of fossil fuels gathers pace.

But as a developing nation, India is not yet required to cut emissions -- said to be rising by between 2-3 percent a year -- under the Kyoto Protocol, despite mounting pressure from environmental groups and industrialised nations.

Gore and the UN climate panel won the Nobel Peace Prize in October 2007 for their helping galvanise international action against global warming before it "moves beyond man's control."

Since leaving office in 2001, Gore has lectured extensively on the threat of global warming and in 2006 starred in his own Oscar-winning documentary film titled: "An Inconvenient Truth" to warn of the dangers and urge action against it.

ANI