Johnson Matthey is part of a group calling for closer UK ties with India, it has been revealed.

According to Prime Minister David Cameron, the movement could bring "jobs, growth and environmental protection".

A report issued by business leaders in the two countries calls for greater collaboration between the two nations, particularly with regards to a low carbon economy.

The publication, titled UK-India Collaboration for a Prosperous Low Carbon Economy, proposes the creation of joint demonstration projects to showcase low carbon technologies.

More closely integrated search and development programmes are also advocated, as are new ways to finance initiatives and the removal of barriers to investment.

Talking to the BBC, Johnson Matthey Chairman Sir John Banham said the partnership could improve the lives of India's rural poor as well as reduce carbon emissions.

"[In the report] you'll see reference to the possibility that by combining technologies readily available in India and the UK, it could be possible for every village in India to have electricity and hot water delivered from gas," he said.

"We're entering a golden age of gas - methane - and by the time of our summit, it would be possible to have demonstration projects showing how for a fraction of the cost of wind and a smaller fraction of the cost of solar, you could have electricity brought to every Indian village."

However, it is not guaranteed that the report's recommendations will be acted on, with India's Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh only committing his government to giving "this significant report the most serious consideration" in an interview with the news provider.

Even so, Steve Howard, Chief Executive Officer of the Climate Group, believes tie-ups such as the one put forward by the group could be crucial given the absence of a successor to the Kyoto treaty.

"I think we will see more bilateral efforts like this filling the international policy vacuum," he commented.

Sources:



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