Govt to assess economic growth impact on environment

The government Monday said it will soon set up of an expert group to evaluate impact of economic growth on environment as part of its efforts to bring in institutional reforms and improve environmental governance.

"Planning Commission and Environment Ministry are very soon going to set up a high-level expert group under the chairmanship of (environmental economist) Partha Dasgupta of Cambridge University," Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh told reporters here.

"This expert group will provide a road map for 'green' National Accounts...By 2015, we would report Gross Domestic Product (GDP) after taking into account environmental costs," he said after releasing an interim report on low carbon strategies for inclusive growth.

The panel will also include distinguished economists Nitin Desai, Vijay Kelkar and Kirit Parikh, he said.