US Embassy, in a statement, said it will take measures in support of efforts to reduce air pollution. US Embassy, in a statement, said it will take measures in support of efforts to reduce air pollution.

The US and French embassies have decided to voluntarily comply with the restrictions being implemented under the Delhi government’s odd-even policy from January 1-15 to control vehicular pollution, even though embassies are exempted from it.

Noting that the Delhi government’s plan was an effort to confront the city’s severe air pollution problems, the US Embassy, in a statement, said that although vehicles with diplomatic plates are officially exempt from this policy, it will take measures in support of efforts to reduce air pollution.

“For the duration of the policy… vehicles will comply, to the degree possible, with the odd/even restrictions. American employees are strongly encouraged to voluntarily cooperate with the odd/even policy. Many American diplomats will be carpooling or travelling by public transportation,” said the US Embassy.

It also advised supervisors to be flexible regarding transportation-induced delays.

The French Embassy has also asked its employees to respect the odd-even policy “as far as possible”.

In response to a query, the embassy said that in 2014, a year ahead of the Paris Climate Conference (COP21), the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development had directed all its embassies to draw up a roadmap to

reduce their environmental impact.

This initiative, called the ‘Green Embassy’, aims to slash greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption by developing renewable energy support mechanisms and encouraging employees to adopt environmental good practices in their daily life.

“The Embassy of France in India — as other French embassies around the world — strongly encouraged its entire staff to cut down on their use of motor vehicles and opt for carpooling or other alternative means of transport as often as possible. In the same spirit, the Embassy employees have been exhorted to respect as far as possible the implementation of the odd-even scheme in Delhi in January,” it said, in a statement.

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