Against the backdrop of the Taj Mahal, President Clinton called for greater environmental cooperation between India and the U.S. and pledged nearly $250 million in aid for clean energy projects and technical assistance to help promote clean water and air in the nation. He emphasized the need to curb greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming, acknowledging that the U.S. bears a great deal of responsibility for the problem. Clinton: “The United States will never ask India or any other developing nation to give up its economic growth in order to reduce pollution. But we do ask you to give us a chance to work with your scientists to prove you can achieve greater growth and make the environment cleaner.” Clinton also lamented the damage that pollution has caused to the white marble walls of the Taj Mahal, and noted that the same pollution harms humans as well.
