This "Memorandum of Understanding" was drafted as a class exercise for a course I am co-teaching, "EVST 346: Urbanization and Environment in China and India," at Yale College. You can check out the class website at: http://sites.environment.yale.edu/chinaindia.

1. Memorandum of Understanding
BETWEEN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND INDIA TO MUTUALLY PROMOTE
THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF CITIES
The People's Republic of China and India hereinafter referred to as the "Participants," convened
at a Special Session by the United Nations Environment Programme at Yale University in New
Haven, CT, and formally signed in April 2013, hereinafter referred to as the "MOU," have
reached the following understandings.
Section 1
In order to implement the policy dialogue and cooperation on sustainable urban development in
the MOU, the Participants intend to conduct cooperative activities set forth in Section 2 below, in
accordance with previous frameworks for cooperation and in support of the objectives of the
MOU.
Section 2: Scope
The areas of common understanding pursuant to this MOU, involve the following areas:
1. Public-Private Partnership
2. Behavioral Incentives and Education
3. Governance and Enforcement
4. Energy, Buildings, and Transport
Section 3: Public Private Partnerships
The Indian and Chinese governments have the responsibility to support private sector
companies engaged in the production of clean energy technology and efficient-building
construction for the creation of sustainable cities. Governments must provide financial
incentives that enable companies to bring environmentally-efficient products and services into
the mainstream market. At the same time, private sector companies are expected to actively
engage in R&D and share skills and knowledge that enable efficient implementation of projects
furthering the goals of environmental sustainability. More broadly, the Indian and Chinese
governments look forward to strengthening synergies across these two countries with regard to
issues of environmental sustainability.
India and China agree on the following goals with regard to Public-Private Partnerships:
1 Governments will strengthen partnerships with companies whose products and services
benefit the environment.
2 Governments will invest in the Research and Development efforts of companies involved
in the production of green technology or construction of efficient buildings.
3 Governments will engage in two-way knowledge exchange with private-sector experts
on sustainability.
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2. 4 Governments will encourage private sector interaction between complementary
companies in the green technology industry within and across the two countries.
Section 4: Behavioral Incentives and Education
In the realm of education, China and India will establish a joint committee to do the following:
1. Share data on best practices for environmental awareness
2. Create forums for top academics to convene and discuss urban-rural sustainability questions
and new university programs to explore environmental sustainability
3. Explore the feasibility of private entities publishing environmental impact statements before
pursuing projects, giving the civil sector and government agencies adequate time to assess
projects.
In the realm of behavioral incentives, China and India will establish a joint committee to do the
following:
1. Discuss successful fee structures, pricing models, and tax systems that use economic
principles in the development of more environmentally sustainable lifestyles and communities.
2. Examine the feasibility of subsidy programs that encourage the development of sustainable
products and industries.
3. Discuss opportunities for increased trade between China and India that will connect firms with
environmentally-sustainable products and policies to larger markets.
Section 5: Governance and Enforcement
The governments of China and India will consider
1. Encouraging the growth of environmental public interest law.
Support a straightforward process through which citizens can bring grievances if environmental
laws are not being adhered to, and fund nationwide education campaigns for citizens, judges
and lawyers about the enforcement of environmental laws.
[2. Giving the central government greater oversight over local environmental bureaus.
The central government of both our countries often has a greater interest in the long-term
environmental picture than regional or provincial governments do in China. Therefore, the
central government of each country must have the legal right to enforce environmental
regulations when local officials are failing to do so.] TERI opposes
3. Strengthening inter-jurisdictional environmental cooperation in both countries.
Functional units of government in China and India (i.e. water departments and energy
departments) and territorial subdivisions must better cooperate among each other to protect the
environment. In the next year, the central governments of China and India will convene
meetings between regional governors to build consensus around environmental protection
targets for all territories, and between departmental secretaries to develop actionable targets for
environmental cooperation.
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3. Section 6: Energy, Buildings, and Transport
Realizing that access to modern, affordable energy is intimately linked with sustainable
development and efforts to alleviate poverty;
Recognizing the intricate interrelated nature of the issues at hand, including ties between
energy consumption, pollution and health consequences, environmental degradation, and the
longevity of cities;
Calling for open exchanges, discussions, and collaborations between India and China on
energy access issues so as to draw on each other’s knowledge and skills;
We call for the consideration of the following:
● Discussion within each country in regards to implementing government subsidies
promoting cleaner and more efficient fuels at the household level in order to ameliorate
the added costs of adopting green energy in urban development
● In-country support of scientific research, development, and transfer of low-carbon
technology
● Continued dialogue on using clean/green/low-carbon technology to develop energy
infrastructure to serve the urban poor and boost local economic growth
● Establishment of a working group focused on the development of and access to low-
carbon transportation options as well as a reevaluation of new urban design that
emphasizes the proximity of amenities to residences
● Promote the sharing of resources, tools, and knowledge between Indian and Chinese
municipalities that would enhance the creation of strategies to decrease the
environmental impact and GHG emissions from buildings.
● Petition for UN funding for a grant program, specifically for China and India (with the
possibility of extending it to all regions exhibiting a certain high rate of urban growth), to
subsidize the adoption of energy efficient building technologies
The Parties will convene a second UNEP China-India summit in 2015 for sharing of best
practices and development of near-term environmental targets.
This MOU is signed respectively in New Haven, CT in the United States on April 3, 2013 in
duplicate in the English and Chinese languages, both texts being equally authentic.
For the People’s Republic of China For India
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4. Premier
Melia
Ungson Prime
Minister
Joshua
Curry
Mr.
Nick
Allen,
Mayor
of
Guangzhou
Ms.
Rachel
Ett,
General
Secretary
of
the
Municipality,
Guangdong
Province
Bharatiya
Janata
Party
Ms.
Sophie
Janaskie,
CEO
of
Sinopec
Mr.
Martin
Shapiro,
General
Secretary
of
the
Communist
Party
of
India
Ms.
Megha
Okhai,
Director
of
Sustainability,
Ms.
Mary
Nguyen,
Governor
of
Gujarat
China
Vanke
Ltd.
Mr.
Joseph
Yagoda,
Communications
Mr.
Ryan
Healey,
CEO
of
Tata
Group
Director,
Friends
of
Nature
Ms.
Viveca
Morris,
Director,
Center
for
Legal
Ms.
Abigail
Bok,
CEO
of
DLF
Assistance
to
Pollution
Victims
Mr.
Gregory
Santoro,
CEO
of
Suntech,
China
Mr.
Joseph
Moynihan,
Chief
Representative
of
the
Adivasi
indigenous
group
Ms.
Elle
Brunsdale,
Expert
on
Agriculture
at
TERI,
advocate
of
farmer’s
rights
in
India
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