Govt to declare ratification of Paris climate pact today

After Cabinet approval, Minister of States for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Anil Madhav Dave will declare the move to formally join the Paris Agreement on climate change on Saturday.

India will also submit its instrument of ratification to the United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon on October 2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced last Sunday that India would be submitting its instrument of ratification to the United Nations Secretary-General on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

The Cabinet approved the India's ratification in its meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday.

The Paris Agreement was adopted when Prakash Javadekar was the environment minister. He had signed the agreement in April this year. As per the Paris Agreement clause, the agreement will come into force 30 days after 55 countries, representing 55 per cent of global emissions; deposit their instruments of ratification, acceptance or accession with the UN secretary general.

The European Union of 28 nations, accounts for over 10 per cent of the total global emission of greenhouse gases, has decided to submit its instrument of ratification before October 7. Now certainly ahead of the next UN climate conference (Conference of Parties - COP22), scheduled to take place in Marrakech, Morocco from November 7 to 18 the Paris Agreement will come into force with India to be  on the same plank, an official said.

Till now 61 countries, accounting for 47.79 per cent of the total global emission, have submitted their instruments of ratification of the agreement, which was adopted by 195 countries in Paris last December.

The Paris Agreement calls on countries to take actions post-2020 to combat climate change and intensify their efforts needed for a sustainable low carbon future. It is meant to limit global warming “well below” 2 degrees Celsius and as close to 1.5 degrees Celsius as possible to increase economic ability to adapt to extreme climate.