Jamshedpur, Nov. 3: A change in lifestyle with an equal emphasis on technological development can result in a pollution free environment, believe experts.

Veterans from the field of environmental studies met for a panel discussion on “Developing economies need to maintain a low profile on environmental issues” an initiative of the city chapter of Association of British Scholars (ABS) at the Tata auditorium.

The annual national event featured prominent names including Elliot Morley, former minister of environment and agri-environment from the United Kingdom, Joyashree Roy, an economist from Jadavpur University, and Ashish Ghosh, the director of Centre for Environment and Development, Calcutta.

“A combination of three factors — financial, environmental and social — can lead to environmental happiness,” said B. Muthuraman, managing director of Tata Steel, also the special guest at the event.

Ghosh said, a total of 181 countries took part in the international conference held in Brazil in 1992, which was in sharp contrast to a mere 40 nations in the 1972 conference.

The day also marked the grand finale of the ABS debate for the Tata Steel Rolling trophy. The team of Achala Parmar and Abhishek Bharadwaj from Patna not only won the trophy but were also adjudged the first and third best speakers while Swati Singh from the steel city walked away got second best speaker award.