Cabinet approves Paris climate deal ratification

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 28

The Cabinet today approved the ratification of the Paris Climate Change Agreement, which will be formalised on October 2. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by PM Narendra Modi, who on Sunday made the announcement at the Kozhikode BJP national council.

Paris Agreement was adopted by 185 nations on December 12, 2015. India signed the agreement in New York early this year on April 22, 2016. A total of 191 countries have signed the agreement so far.

Notably, India announced its climate action plan on October 2 last year, after submitting to the UN its “intended nationally determined contribution” a day earlier

As per provisions of the agreement, the treaty will come into force as and when 55 countries contributing to 55 per cent of the total global emission ratify the agreement. So far, 61 countries have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval accounting in total for 47.79% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions.

India’s decision to ratify the agreement will take the number of cumulative level of emission of countries to have ratified the agreement so far to 51.89%.

India will now be one of the key countries that will be instrumental in bringing the Paris Agreement into force. Given the critical role that India played in securing international consensus on the agreement, today’s decision will further underline India’s responsive leadership in the community of nations committed to global cause of environmental protection and climate justice, officials say.

The Cabinet also decided that India must declare it would treat its national laws, development agenda, availability of means of implementation, assessment of global commitment to combating climate change, and predictable and affordable access to cleaner source of energy as the context in which the pact is being ratified.