New Delhi: Nobel laureate Wangari Mathai was today awarded the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development at a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan where a call was made to the developed world to join hands in adopting eco-friendly practices and tackle climate change and green house gas emissions.

Asking the developed world to reflect on pursuing development based on "high and wasteful" consumption, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said if these nations succeed in reducing their per capita emissions it will be a source of incentive for all other nations.

"I do believe the developed world must reflect whether it can continue to pursue a model of development based on high and wasteful consumption," he said.

The Prime Minister asserted that India was willing to accept the obligation that per capita emissions in the country will never exceed the per capita emissions of developed countries. "If developed countries succeed in reducing their per capita emissions, this would exert pressure and will be a source of incentive for us as well," he said.

Observing that there was no contradiction in pursuing development goals and protecting the environment, Singh questioned the people of the country whether "we can afford to ape the lifestyles of the west and sustain life on the plant".

President Pratibha Patil said, "for tackling climate change and green house gas emissions, we must work together to find pragmatic, practical solutions which are for the benefit of the entire humankind".

Source : PTI