India on Sunday deposited its Instrument of Ratification of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change at the United Nations.
India's Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin handed over the Instrument of Ratification signed by President Pranab Mukherjee to Santiago Villalpando, the chief of the Treaties Division.
"India keeps its promise. On Gandhiji's birth anniversary we deposit the instrument of ratification of #ParisAgreement #climatechange", tweeted External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup.
"India has deposited its Instrument of Ratification to the Paris Agreement under the convention on Climate Change," the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations said in a press statement.
The day is the birth anniversary of India's 'Father of the Nation' Mahatma Gandhi, and is also commemorated as the International Day of Non Violence.
With the deposition of the ratification instruments, India became the 62nd country to ratify the Agreement taking the cumulative emission of the countries that have ratified the Agreement so far to 51.89 percent.
Also Read
As per the provisions of the Paris Agreement, the treaty will come into force as and when 55 countries, or signatories contributing 55 per cent of the total global harmful emissions, ratify the Agreement.
"This significant contribution towards the early entry into force of the Paris Agreement underlines Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to global cause of environmental protection and climate justice and reaffirms India's responsive leadership in addressing the impact of climate change," the Permanent Mission's statement added.
US President Barack Obama and French President Francois Hollande welcomed the move and congratulated India.
"Gandhiji believed in a world worthy of our children. In joining the Paris Agreement, @narendramodi & the Indian people carry on that legacy," Obama said in a tweet.
Hollande welcomed the ratification of the Paris Agreement.
"This decision, coming after the decision of the Environment Ministers of the European Union, brings us closer to the entry into force of the Paris agreement before the end of the year," said a communique issued by the French Presidency.
Hollande recalled that India played a key role in the adoption of this agreement in December 2015.
India also launched, with France, the International Solar Alliance, which will contribute to the realization of the objectives of the Paris agreement by facilitating access to solar energy.
The Indian cabinet, on September 28, decided to ratify the Paris Agreement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced during the BJP National Council meeting late last month that India would ratify the 21st Conference of Parties (CoP) protocol on combating climate change on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary on October 2.
The Paris Agreement was adopted by 185 nations on December 12 last year and India signed it in New York on April 22. A total of 191 countries have signed it so far.
--IANS
rn-bns/vd
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)