PM Modi to address global climate summit today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the global climate summit on Saturday on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the landmark Paris Climate Agreement, said Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister of Environment here on Friday.

"Tomorrow, the Paris Climate Agreement would complete five years. The United Kingdom has called for a global climate summit and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would also be taking part in the meeting," Javadekar said.

He added that climate change is not an overnight phenomenon and it has taken shape in the last 100 years. Javadekar took the opportunity to explain that India was doing better than the US, Europe and China as it only contributes to 3 per cent of the total emissions.

"Historically, the US has 25 per cent of all emissions, Europe has 22 per cent of emissions whereas China has 13 per cent and India has only 3 per cent. We are in no way responsible for this climate change but being a responsible nation, we have joined hands in fixing the problem," the Union Minister further said.

Prime Minister Modi, during the G20 Summit held virtually in Riyadh said India is not only meeting the targets of the Paris agreement on Climate Change but is also exceeding them. PM Modi also said while the world currently is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, it is "equally important to fight climate change in an integrated, comprehensive and holistic way".

"Today we are focused on saving our citizens, economies from the effects of the global pandemic. It is equally important to keep our focus on fighting climate change. Climate change must be fought not in silos but in an integrated, comprehensive and holistic way," he said.