Ban Ki-Moon welcomes PM's call for early implementation of Paris deal

United Nations, Jun 10: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's support for early implementation of the Paris climate agreement during his just-concluded US visit.

Ban said a record-number of UN member states had signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in April and now the countries need to bring the agreement into force this year.

"I welcome the announcement two days ago by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India that he will join this effort," Ban told reporters here yesterday.

Ban said that to help advance the process, he will convene an event during the September high-level week of the General Assembly for countries to deposit their instruments of ratification.

In a joint statement, Modi and US President Barack Obama said that both India and the US recognised the urgency of climate change and share the goal of enabling entry into force of the Paris agreement as early as possible.

Following the announcement, Ban had encouraged all countries to accelerate their domestic processes to join or ratify it.

"The Secretary-General welcomes the domestic steps being undertaken by both countries to join the Paris Agreement as soon as possible, including in 2016, and their collaborative efforts to address climate change," a statement issued by Ban's spokesperson had said.

The Paris Agreement was adopted by all 196 Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change at the UN climate change conference in Paris last December, where all countries agreed to work to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius, and to strive for 1.5 degrees Celsius.

In April, 175 countries signed the agreement, which according to the UN was by far the largest number of countries ever to sign an international agreement in one single day.

For it to enter into force, 55 countries accounting for 55 per cent of global greenhouse emissions need to implement the accord at the national level. As of today, 177 parties have signed, and 17 have ratified it.

Ban had said that he is encouraged by the resolve of India and the US to pursue low greenhouse gas emission development strategies and successful outcomes this year to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the Montreal Protocol, the International Civil Aviation Organisation Assembly, and the G20," the statement added, noting that the joint announcement by India and the US also follows on the heels of the G7 Ise-Shima Leaders' Declaration.

During his three-day visit to Washington at the invitation of Obama, climate change was one of the major topics of discussion between the two leaders.

During the meeting at the White House, Obama and Modi had reiterated their commitment to pursue low greenhouse gas emission development strategies in the pre-2020 period and to develop long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies.

PTI