India to ratify COP 21 climate agreement on April 22: Prakash Javadekar
Union minister of state for forests and climate change Prakash Javadekar has affirmed that India along with nearly 100 nations would ratify the COP 21 Climate Agreement on April 22. In light of the Paris agreement, while speaking at a symposium titled COP 21 Building Synergies, Shaping Actions hosted by Mumbai University on Saturday, Mr Javadekar said that while India was not responsible for the carbon emission problem, it wanted to be part of the solution and hence agreed to take the green way to achieve sustainable development.
Piyush Goyal, Union minister of state for coal and renewable energy, said India had the largest programme for solar energy and would achieve its commitment to green energy even if developed countries did not fulfil their commitments.
Throwing light on the COP 21 Global Climate Agreement on April 22 to be signed at the UN headquarters in New York, Mr Javadekar said, “The agreement sets out a global action plan to put the world on track by bringing down global warming by 2 degrees Celsius. It was negotiated in Paris in December 2015 and the terms agreed upon will be ratified on April 22.” Javdekar’s confirmation puts to rest speculation about India signing the agreement but ratifying it later.
The Paris Agreement lays down a framework for a concerted global effort to tackle climate change in the post-2020 period. India had conveyed to the UN in the last week of March that it would sign the agreement on April 22, but had indicated that it would ratify the treaty after getting approval from the Cabinet.
Reasserting India’s commitment to carbon emission reduction and sustainable development, he added, “What we have adopted is not only an agreement, but a new chapter of hope in the lives of 7 billion people. The agreement acknowledges and recognises the development imperatives of India and other developing countries. The accord also supports the right to development and efforts to harmonise development with environment, while protecting the interests of the most vulnerable.”
Mr Javadekar said temperatures had risen by 1 degree caused by 150 years of uncontrolled carbon emission by developed countries wherein US contributed 30 per cent, Europe 50 per cent and China 10 per cent. “While India is responsible for only 3 per cent carbon emissions, we are committed to implementing the solution by controlling vehicular pollution,” said Mr Javadekar.
