By Adam Tanner

SAN FRANCISCO, March 29 (Reuters) - Britain's outgoing government adviser on global warming said on Thursday that officials in China and India are becoming more sensitive to the problem of global warming.

"It's quite remarkable how intense this discussion is becoming around the world. And I believe quietly opinions are changing in India and China as well," said Nicholas Stern, a former World Bank chief economist.

"In the last couple of years in both India and China you see a real change in the discussion. It's quite private at the moment because they have quite strong public positions, but it it is changing."

Stern generated international headlines last year with a report saying it was far cheaper to deal with climate change now than deal with its eventual consequences. He estimated cutting carbon gas emissions would cost about 1 percent of the world's economic output.

As an example of China's efforts, Stern cited reforestation and goal of improving energy efficiency by 20 percent over its current five-year plan.

"That's remarkably fast in five years," he said during a stop in San Francisco after a visit to Australia and Indonesia. "Now they are also opening a coal-fired power plant every week, so I am not saying there is no problem there, there is a problem."

"What I'm talking about is an indication of changing perspectives."

The Kyoto Protocol aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions is not binding on the fast-growing economies of China and India, but experts say their participation in future efforts will be vital.

"India and China both know that global warming is a very big problem for them and they know they are crucial," Stern said in an interview.

The United States has not signed the Kyoto agreement setting emission limitations. President George W. Bush has rejected mandatory caps on emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases that contribute to a rise in world temperatures.

Earlier this month, the European Union resolved to slash greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent by 2020, upping the goal to 30 percent if other countries join in the effort.

"Now that's the kind of target, 30 percent by 2020, that the rich world ought to be going for," he said.

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