Australia has moral obligation to help India

Melbourne, Oct 3 : The Indo-US civil nuke deal and New Delhi's agreement with France, herald a new de facto non-proliferation framework that will have profound implications for Australia's policies on climate change and the exporting of uranium.

Neville Roach, chairman emeritus of the Australia-India Business Council, said: "No country faces a harder task of responding to climate change than India and Australia with world's largest carbon footprint has a moral obligation to make it easier, rather than more difficult, for India to generate energy in the least polluting way."

"India will have to implement every carbon-efficient energy solution available, including solar, wind, biofuels, natural and coal seam gas and the solution strongly advocated by Australia, clean coal," The quoted Roach, as saying.

However, the most effective and immediately available solution is unquestionably nuclear power, which produces zero carbon emissions, he added.

Roach pointed that to expand its nuclear power production substantially, India needs secure access to the latest technology as well as uranium ore.

"As the suppliers group decision does not require India to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Australian Government will need to review its longstanding policy to export uranium only to NPT signatories. This will have profound implications for Australia's relations with India and the world's response to climate change," he said.

He recommended the Prime Minister's 2020 summit was to engage more actively with Australia's four major regional economies - the US, Japan, China and India.

"The recommendation reflects India's growing importance regionally and globally. Australia is one of the biggest beneficiaries of India's rapid economic growth and is a major source of skilled migrants, overseas students and tourists," roach said.

He said without nuclear power, India cannot meet its energy needs as it strives to lift hundreds of millions of its people out of poverty.

"The good news is that the more India relies on nuclear power, the greater its ability to minimise carbon emissions. Australia will be seen as a true and reliable friend if it helps India in its hour of need," Roach said.

ANI