New Delhi: The government on Wednesday approved the proposal for ratification of the "historic" Paris climate deal which will be formalised on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, making India one of the key countries which would help bring the pact into force.
The nod by the Union Cabinet comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the decision which is expected to give momentum to implementation of measures at the international level to control global warming.
However, the government has decided to ratify the agreement "in the context" of its national laws, availability of means of implementation and "its own assessment" of global commitment to combating climate change.
"While agreeing to ratify the Paris Agreement, the Cabinet has also decided that India should declare that India will treat its national laws, its development agenda, availability of means of implementation, its assessment of global commitment to combating climate change, and predictable and affordable access to cleaner source of energy as the context in which the Agreement is being ratified," an official statement said.
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said, with this, India will be one of the key countries which will be instrumental in bringing the Paris Agreement into force.
"Today the Union Cabinet approved the ratification of Paris Agreement which is a historic decision. With the ratification, India will be one of the key countries instrumental in bringing the Paris Agreement into force," Javadekar told reporters on Wednesday.
The decision will further underline India's responsive leadership, which is committed to global cause of environment protection and climate justice, he said.
Javadekar said the pact will come into force after it has been ratified by at least 55 countries which account for 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
So far, 61 countries have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval accounting in total for 47.79 per cent 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 that have ratified the Agreement so far to 51.89 per cent as its total emissions is 4.1 per cent of the global emissions.
"Because of India's push, now the world will ratify the deal soon. It will become irreversible course of action for humankind. It is a common resolve to keep temperature rise below two degrees Celsius. Now that target is achievable," Javadekar said.
The Minister had earlier told reporters that the cumulative emissions of 61 countries put together was 51.89 per cent and India's ratification will help bridge the remaining 3 per cent to fulfil the second condition.
Paris Agreement was adopted by 185 nations last year on December 12 and India signed it in New York on April 22 this year. A total of 191 countries have signed the Paris Agreement so far.
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