Press release - October 3, 2016
New Delhi, October 2nd, 2016: On the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian government today deposited India’s instrument of ratification of the historic Paris climate agreement with the United Nations.
Welcoming the move, Greenpeace India Executive Director Ravi Chellam said:
“I am glad that the Indian government has acted decisively and ratified the Paris agreement, thereby strongly communicating its intention to move quickly to achieve its ambitious renewable energy goals. It is now essential that India rationalises its energy policy; a Greenpeace analysis released late last week (1) shows that nearly $50 billion in scarce resources is currently being sunk to build over 60 GW of idle coal plants that India does not need and can ill-afford. This is a colossal waste of scarce resources that would be better used to achieve India’s goal of 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022.”
With India’s ratification, the Paris Agreement has edged even closer to the moment where it enters into force – less than ten months after its adoption. Said Ravi, “The momentum behind this Agreement is a recognition of the danger of climate chaos, to which India is particularly vulnerable. Those major emitters which haven’t yet ratified must do so promptly. And all countries must take action now, to meet and go beyond the commitments they have already made, so that the Paris Agreement goes down in history as the moment mankind stared climate catastrophe in the face, and did something significant about it. India’s ratification increases the pressure on the rich, industrialised countries which have contributed the most to this problem, to raise their level of ambition on both: reduction of emissions and providing finance and technological assistance to developing countries.”
This is the opportunity for us to switch to a world powered by clean and renewable energy that is affordable and accessible for all. India, which is one of the countries most at risk from climate change, could be one of the biggest beneficiaries of this change. It can crucially also play a leadership role in uniting the developing and poorer countries in their negotiations and dealings with the richer and more developed ones and also lead by example by exceeding the targets it has committed to. This can be achieved by demonstrating e diverse, socially inclusive, and just models of implementation, which give greater ownership and control at the local level. .”
As of now 61 countries have formally ratified the Agreement (2) – more than the 55 required. They represent about 47.8 percent of emissions, so there is a strong prospect of the Agreement becoming a legally binding treaty before countries meet at CoP 22 in Marrakesh to map the way forward.
Notes:
Link to Greenpeace Report: https://secured-static.greenpeace.org/india/Global/india/report/2016/Power%20scenario%20briefing-%20overcapacity%20FInal%20Ver.pdf
Track the countries that have ratified here: http://unfccc.int/paris_agreement/items/9444.php
For further information:
Anindita Datta Choudhury,
Senior Media Officer,
Greenpeace India
+91 9871515804