Govt approves ratification of Paris climate agreement

New Delhi, Sep 28: Paving the way for bringing the historic Paris agreement into force, the government today approved its ratification which will be formalised on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

The nod by the Union Cabinet comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the move which is expected to give momentum to implementation of measures at international level to control global warming.

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said that with this India will be one of the key countries instrumental in bringing the historic Paris agreement into force. "Today the Union Cabinet approved the ratification of Paris agreement which is a historic decision. With the ratification, India will be one of the key countries instrumental in bringing the Paris agreement into force," Javadekar told reporters here.

The decision will further underline India's responsive leadership, committed to global cause of environment protection and climate justice. Javadekar said that there were two conditions for the Paris deal to come into force.

The pact will come into force after it is ratified by at least 55 countries that account for 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, he said. He said that although 61 countries have ratified the agreement till now, India's move to ratify it will bring the total emissions to 51.89 per cent.

"Because of India's push, now the world will ratify the deal soon. It will become irreversible course of action for humankind.

It is a common resolve to keep temperature rise below two degrees Celsius. Now that target is achievable," Javadekar said. Noting that the four-year period between 2016-2020 is also important, Javadekar said that India has played its part and now will remind the world community that their pre-2020 actions are also important.

During the recent BJP's National Council meet in Kozhikode, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said," There is one work left in the CoP21 (Conference of Parties). "Ratification is yet to be done and India too is yet to do it.

Today on the birth anniversary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay, I announce that India will ratify the decisions on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi."

China and the US - responsible for around 40 per cent of the world's carbon emissions - have already jointly ratified the Paris climate change deal that aims to significantly reduce global emissions, giving hopes that the landmark accord may come into effect by the end of this year.

PTI