New Delhi: India and Britain should run 70 percent of their cars, trucks and buses on sugar-based ethanol, well-known British industrialist Richard Branson said here Monday.

Participating in an India-Britain CEO roundtable on climate change and corporate responsibility, Branson said sugar was plentiful around the world, its price was low, and vehicles run on sugar-based ethanol contributed considerably in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions are leading to global warming.

The flamboyant head of the Virgin group said he had been studying how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for two years now, and this seemed to be the best option.

But Branson's prescription was contested by other participants at the roundtable, both from India and Britain.

One Indian entrepreneur pointed out that large-scale diversion of agricultural land to grow biofuels - including sugar - would lead to many other environmental problems, including global warming.

The European Union has now decided to go far more slowly and cautiously in the direction of biofuels. A representative of British Petroleum pointed out at the roundtable that his company was moving very cautiously too.

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