G20 members commit to early ratification of Paris climate deal

From K J M Varma Hangzhou, Sep 5 (PTI) The G20 members today agreed tocomplete their domestic legal formalities for the ratificationof Paris climate deal as soon as their "national proceduresallow", a move which would provide more time to India to workout its own strategy keeping up with its developmental goals. "We reiterate our commitment to sustainable development,strong and effective support and actions to address climatechange. We commit to complete our respective domesticprocedures in order to join the Paris Agreement as soon as ournational procedures allow," said the joint communique issuedat the end of the G20 summit. India came under pressure to ratify the deal after Chinaand the US – responsible for around 40 per cent of the world’scarbon emissions – ratified the agreement ahead of the G20summit and handed over their countries’ instruments of joiningthe agreement to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday. India is still in the process of developing its industryamid its over 7 per cent growth rate, the highest in the worldat present, and wants to expand its manufacturing in a bigway. The Paris Agreement has charted the course for post-2020global cooperation against climate change, and it indicatesthat a cooperative, win-win, equitable and fair climate governance mechanism is being shaped. "We welcome those G20 members who joined the Agreementand efforts to enable the Paris Agreement to enter into forceby the end of 2016 and look forward to its timelyimplementation with all its aspects," the joint statementsaid. "We affirm the importance of fulfilling the UNFCCCcommitment by developed countries in providing means ofimplementation including financial resources to assistdeveloping countries with respect to both mitigation andadaptation actions in line with Paris outcomes," it said. "We reaffirm the importance of the support provided bythe Green Climate Fund. We welcome the G20 Climate FinanceStudy Group Report on promoting efficient and transparentprovision and mobilisation of climate finance to enhanceambition of mitigation and adaptation actions." "We look forward to successful outcomes in relatedmultilateral fora, including the Montreal Protocol and theInternational Civil Organisation," it said. (MORE) PTI KJV PMSZHPMS