Representatives from Green Peace and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) met to discuss the willingness of member companies to provide details of their carbon emission reduction program.

COAI emphasised the need for both organisations to work together to adopt a coordinated and cooperative action plan for the industry.

It pointed out that the cellular industry contributed less than 1 per cent to the total carbon emissions in India currently. This, it added, was projected to grow to 1.5 per cent by 2015.

COAI believes that if Green Peace India was serious about reducing carbon emissions in India, their efforts should be focused on motivating and joining industries that have a disproportionate impact on carbon emissions.

It also said the real issue was obtaining grid power, and efforts ought to be focused on generating this at the earliest. It added that the real business of mobile companies was providing communication services and not power generation. This was the purview of power companies and the government.

COAI emphasised that a sustained and effective program for carbon emission reduction was a complex matter and required the participation of all its member companies, especially tower companies that managed their cell sites, towers and network infrastructure.

It added that individual efforts by member companies would often result in poor economies of scale and wasted investments and efforts in untried and unproven alternatives.

COAI said that it would, in three months, develop a clear, detailed and sustainable emission reduction program with realistic time frames for achievement and share this with Green Peace and other interested parties.

In addition, it said it would engage a competent third party to assist its members with best international practices. Efforts in this regard have already begun, with the adoption of the GSMA program for energy use reduction.

Rajan S. Mathews, director general COAI stated that companies should focus their energies on this issue.