The UN will be providing the government of India with $42 million for cleantech as part of a technical cooperation program. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is providing the funds in an effort to support sustainable production and other cleantech efforts and will spread out the disbursement over the next five years.

Indian officials have said that the new agreement has made provisions for improving industrial conservation and energy efficiency efforts, standardizing sustainability and promoting investments in green companies. Specifically, they plan to use funds to aid small and medium businesses, concentrating on those that can provide a boost to employment. The funding will be divided among approximately 30 projects in a variety of industrial sectors.

UNIDO’s overall goal is to alleviate poverty by promoting industrial and commercial development, and has, of late, had some significant successes through funding environmental and energy initiatives. While the organization receives funding from the United Nations, they also work with a number of philanthropic organizations like the Gates Foundation.