India will ratify the Paris pact on Climate Change on October 2, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday, in a surprise announcement that will be a “big step” towards bringing the historic deal into full force.
The announcement by Modi for ratifying last year’s Paris agreement to limit greenhouse gases next Sunday to coincide with the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi was made in his address to BJP’s National Council meet in Kozhikode. The decision is expected to give momentum to implementation of measures at international level to control global warming.
While Western countries, including the US, had been pushing for an early ratification of the pact–possibly by the end of this year, India had been seeking more time to complete its national processes as it fears that any hasty decision may impact its developmental projects.
“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,” Modi said.
Modi said he had chosen the date as Mahatma Gandhi’s life was an example of minimum carbon footprint.
During the Paris climate meet in December last, 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 global greenhouse gas emissions.
Talking about the need to ratify the COP21 decision, Modi said there is a looming threat due to global warming to many coastal countries and cities. Even Kerala, where the conclave was being held, is also a coastal area.
