At a time when environment clearance procedures are blamed for delaying infrastructure projects, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said protection of the environment and promoting development need not be a zero-sum game.

He pitched for transparent regulatory regimes so that both could be pursued in tandem. Inaugurating the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS), organised by The Energy and Resources Institute here, Singh said: “What is required is regulatory regimes that are transparent, accountable and subject to oversight and monitoring.”