CTI has been developed as the second phase of USAID India's Trade in Environmental Services and Technologies (TEST) project, which aims at strengthening incentives for the adoption of clean technologies and certified environmental management systems and enhancing the capacities of Indian industry to evaluate and incorporate such technologies and practices into their operations. International Resources Group Ltd (IRG), a consulting firm in Washington, DC, provides technical assistance to CTI.

Says Sanjay Srivastava, environment management programme manager, CTI: ``We are assisting Indian industry to realise through demonstration projects the business and environmental benefits of adopting private sector driven voluntary approach as a tool to improve their overallenvironmental performance.''

According to Srivastava, the rate of progress has been very good in spite of the fact that it took some time initially to establish partnerships with business houses and associations. ``It took more time convincing industry to start doing something voluntarily that makes business sense,'' says Srivastava. The highlights of the CTI project includes promoting ISO 14001 in the textile, pulp and paper, automotive and steel sectors; promoting benchmarking in the cement and pulp and paper sectors; establishment of an Environmental Information Center in collaboration with FICCI, working with suppliers and their clients on greening the supply chain and promoting project financing on clean and climate friendly technologies from the US.In collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), CTI is actively promoting the adoption of ISO 14001 standards through demonstration pilot projects. It is supporting nine Indian firms from theautomotive, pulp and paper and textile sectors along with two steel plants and two iron ore mines in design and implementation of EMS. CTI will also extend its assistance in getting these facilities certified to ISO 14001 standards. The pilot project is also designed to demonstrate the benefits and the role of EMS in the identification and adoption of energy efficient and climate-friendly practices and technologies.

CTI is also working closely with Indian cement and agro-pulp and paper industries to pilot a new benchmarking and rating system that will measure each facility's performance against the best industrial, resource and energy-consuming processes in each sector. Manuals detailing all the processes will be developed and be available with the Cement Manufacturers Association and the Indian Agro Paper Mills Association.

In addition, IRG is providing technical assistance to four units of SAIL namely Rourkela Steel Plant, Bhilai Steel Plant, Meghatatuburu and Dalli Iron ore mines to design andimplement EMS and get it certified to the ISO 14001 based specification.

Being one of the first major initiatives on the promotion of ISO 14001 in the steel sector in India, it is anticipated that the collaboration will facilitate capacity building and demonstrate improved environmental and economic performance. CTI is sending representatives from SAIL to the US and South Korea to understand various clean technology applications and the implementation of EMS in modern iron and steel mills.

CTI is also actively involved in the new Environmental Information Centre (EIC) being established at FICCI. EIC represents the foundation of a strengthened and subcontinent-wide industrial extension network that will enhance the capacity of Indian firms and other institutions to access and disseminate needed information. The network and its branches will be developed among public and private organisations, extension systems, centres of technical excellence and financial institutions in order to accelerate the adoptionand use of appropriate technologies. CTI is proposed to be continued beyond 2002 to widen its reach to industry and deepen the impact of market based instruments to improve environmental performance. At present, CTI comprises an integrated package of activities, which include: