India assures France of full support for climate meet

NEW DELHI:India has assured France it will work with it for ensuring the success of the climate change conference in Paris later this year, a top French diplomat said here today citing "strong and fruitful dialogue" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard.
"We have had a strong and fruitful dialogue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this and the message was that we (India and France) will ensure that it (climate meet) is a success," said the French Ambassador to India, Francois Richier.

He was speaking at an event here organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) with a view to soliciting the opinions of 100 select Indian citizens on climate change and energy issues.

The Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has initiated a project entitled 'World-Wide Views on Climate Change and Energy' that will see over 10,000 citizens around the world today discussing and deliberating upon these issues.

Richier inaugurated the India chapter of the event in the run up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-21) conference in the French capital later this year.

"Before the actual conference begins, we are trying to lay the groundwork and there will be formal negotiations and diplomatic negotiations, but also there are informal negotiations and we are trying to reach a preliminary number of agreements ahead of the conference," he said.

"As per the conference, the final agreements would be legally binding and articulated with national commitments. Each country would have its national contribution plan, but we will also have to see how each country can do under its given circumstances," added Richier.

TERI Acting Director General Leena Srivastava said this is perhaps the first-of-its-kind initiative which seeks inputs from citizens ahead of the final decision-making process.

"It (citizen deliberations) is happening across the world and due to difference in time zones, by tomorrow, we believe the final outcome will come.

"As per the Paris conference, I think India is ready for that and it will make a significant contribution to it," she said.

The idea is to come up with models that are real and seek co-operation with, among others, local governments and research bodies in achieving the final goal.