India's decision to ratify Paris Climate Agreement a bold step
India's decision to ratify the Paris Climate Agreement on October 2 is being viewed as a major step and is expected to drive other countries to join the agreement.
India ratifying the Paris Climate Agreement will be a 'big' step and will bring a major change in the global stage, with regard to climate change, Union Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave stated on Sunday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India will ratify the pact on October 2.
"Today, the prime minister has announced that India will ratify the Paris agreement, implying the agreement reached in Paris has been accepted by India in binding. Some 55 nations will come together to achieve the goals decided and the targets fixed with regard to climate change, and later more countries will join," Dave noted.
"I believe that this is a major step taken by India on the world stage. Ratification of the Paris Agreement by India will make a big difference to climate change," Dave said.
Earlier, in a surprise move, while addressing Bharatiya Janata Party's National Council meet here, the prime minister announced that India will ratify the Paris Climate Change Agreement on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
"There is one task 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," he emphasized.
Modi said he had chosen the date, which is next Sunday, as Mahatma Gandhi's life was an example of minimum carbon footprint.
Dave said till date, more than 50 nations have signed the agreement, which means they have accepted the pact according to their respective Constitution.
"In India, this right is vested with the prime minister and is vested in the union cabinet," the environment minister said.
During the Paris climate meet last year, more than 190 nations had agreed on setting ambitious goals for capping global warming and funnelling trillions of dollars to poor countries facing climate catastrophe.
The pact will come into force after it is ratified by at least 55 countries that account for 55 per cent of the global greenhouse gas emissions.
The surprise announcement by Modi came after India had earlier said this month that no decision to ratify the Paris Climate Change Agreement has been taken so far, as its domestic processes in this regard were still underway.
While western countries, including the US, have been supporting an early ratification of the pact, India has been seeking more time to complete its national processes, as it fears that any hasty decision may impact its developmental projects.
Dave said that India believes that development and environment go hand in hand, and every decision, including the signing of the Paris agreement and now its ratification, has been taken bearing in mind the interest of the people of India.
Copyright: The Statesman/ Asia News Network