India formally joined the Paris Climate Change Agreement. It is been done by submitting its instrument of ratification at UN headquarters in New York on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
Paris Climate Change :
The Paris Agreement is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) dealing with greenhouse gases emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance starting in the year 2020.
- The language of the agreement was negotiated by representatives of 195 countries at the 21st Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC in Paris and adopted by consensus on 12 December 2015.
- It was opened for signature on 22 April 2016 (Earth Day) in a ceremony in New York City.As of September 2016, 191 UNFCCC members have signed the treaty, 61 of which have ratified it.
- The agreement will only enter into force provided that 55 countries that produce at least 55% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions ratify, accept, approve or accede to the agreement; although the minimum number of ratifications has been reached, the ratifying states do not produce the requisite percentage of greenhouse gases for the agreement to enter into force.
- The head of the Paris Conference, France’s foreign minister Laurent Fabius, said this “ambitious and balanced” plan is a “historic turning point” in the goal of reducing global warming.
- The aim of the convention is described in Article 2, “enhancing the implementation” of the UNFCCC.
- Holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change;
- Increasing the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development, in a manner that does not threaten food production
- Making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development.
Countries furthermore aim to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible and the Paris deal is the world’s first comprehensive climate agreement.
EU ministers approve ratification of Paris climate Agreement :
European Union ministers approved the ratification of the Paris Agreement at a historic meeting of the Environment Council in Brussels .
- The 28 EU member nations together account for close to 12 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions
- The Paris treaty had already crossed the first requirement of 55 countries ratifying the treaty to enable its entry into force on September 21 at the UN Secretary-General’s special ratification ceremony organised at the UN headquarters.
- During that ceremony, 31 countries had submitted their ratification instruments to the UN, bringing the total count of ratifying parties to 60.As of now 62 countries have ratified the deal including India.
India’s Desire :
India accounts for about 4.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.The Paris agreement will come into force when 55 countries contributing to at least 55% of total global emissions ratify the deal. So far, 61 countries have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval, accounting for 47.8% of global emissions, an Indian government statement said.
- The Paris agreement was adopted by 185 nations in December. It asks both rich and poor countries to take action to curb the rise in global temperatures that is melting glaciers, raising sea levels and shifting rainfall patterns. It requires governments to present national plans to reduce emissions to limit global temperature rise to well below 2C (3.6F).
- India has committed that by 2030, at least 40% of its electricity will be generated from non-fossil sources. This includes 175GW renewable energy capacity by 2022.
- The ratification by India, which has a population of over 1.2 billion, is expected to give momentum to the implementation of measures at the international level to control global warming.
- It is noted tat earlier this month, the US and China had formally joined the Paris agreement, which was adopted by 195 parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change last December in Paris.