Paris Climate Deal Ratified by India at UN

Sunday, on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, India signed the historic Paris Climate deal, augmenting the deal to come to force by this year. India, the third-largest carbon emitter in the world rectified the deal which is expected to boost the application of measures to control Global Warming at International level.

Initiated in Paris by the 195 Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at a conference also known as COP21 in December 2015, the Agreement was signed by 175 countries on 22nd April this year in New York. A total of 191 countries has signed the Paris Agreement so far.

The Paris agreement focuses on Global Action for the reduction of Greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere to prevent disastrous climate changes in the future. The agreement seeks to give momentum to the actions in preserving the atmosphere and raising financial and technological aids from the signees. The rectifications main agenda is to reduce the greenhouse emissions and curb the global temperature increase below 2 degree celsius per annum, with an aim of withholding the increase to 1.5-degree celsius.

Ban Ki- Moon, the UN Secretary-General appreciated India’s move and said that this was the best gift for Mahatma Gandhi on his 147th birth anniversary and now India has moved one step closer to being a nation that Gandhiji dreamt of.

Syed Akbaruddin, Permanent Representative to the UN presented the Instrument of Ratification signed by President of India Mr. Pranab Mukherjee to the Head of the Treaties Division at the UN,Santiago Villalpando at a ceremony attended by top United Nations officials.

Ministry of external Affairs said in a statement that the rectification of the Paris Climate deal shows PM Narendra Modi’s commitment towards protection of the environment and climate justice.

China, USA, The European Union, Russia and India are the biggest carbon emitters in the world. China and USA, the top two emitters has ratified the agreement in September, while The European Union and Russia are expected to sign before the end of 2016.

The ratification needs to be signed by at least 55%(now at 51.68%) carbon emitter countries in the world to come in force and if EU or Russia signs the agreement in the coming week, then The Paris Agreement will be in force before the commencement of next Climate Change Conference which is scheduled on 7 November in Marrakech, Morocco.