TERI DG Ajay Mathur conferred French distinction

NEW DELHI: Director General of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) Ajay Mathur was today conferred with a 'French Civilian Distinction' in recognition of his role in addressing issues related to climate change and sustainable development in India.

The distinction, 'Officier de l'Ordre national du Mérite' (Officer of the National Order of Merit), was given by Ambassador of France to India François Richier on behalf of the French President.

"This honour comes in recognition of Ajay Mathur's instrumental role in addressing issues related to climate change and sustainable development in India and abroad...

"...including through Indo-French cooperation on energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable development, creating enduring ties and promoting mutual understanding between India and France," an official statement said.

Mathur also played a prominent role in building consensus for reaching a global agreement on climate change at Conference of Parties (COP21) in Paris in December 2015.

Mathur was earlier Director General of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency from 2006 till February 2016 and responsible for bringing energy efficiency into homes, offices, and factories, through initiatives such as the star labelling programme for appliances, the Energy Conservation Building Code, and the Perform, Achieve and Trade programme for energy-intensive industries.

He has also been a key Indian climate change negotiator, and was also the Indian spokesperson at the 2015 climate negotiations in Paris.