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Modi: India committed to protecting the environment
February 16, 2018, 9:40 am

Both China and India have called on industrialized nations to do more to combat climate change and curb carbon emissions [Xinhua]


India will not shrink away from its responsibility to protect the environment, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a World Sustainable Development Summit in New Delhi on Friday.

“Respect for nature is part of India’s culture. We consider Earth our mother. India believes in growth but is also committed to protecting the environment,” he said.

He also urged other leading countries to fulfill their commitments to a global unified approach to dealing with climate change.

The prime minister said different countries had different responsbilities and equity in reducing carbon emissions and thwarting drastic rises in temperature.

During the Climate Change negotiations in Paris, France in November 2015, India expressed concern that some developed countries would shift their responsibilities to developing nations.

India has always maintained that some developed countries have “historical” responsibilities toward climate change, and that developed and developing countries cannot be put on the same level.

Industrialized nations must do more, India has argued.

In the meantime, Delhi is commited to its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) to slash the rate of carbon emissions relative to gross domestic product by 33-35 per cent by 2030 from 2005 levels.

Modi on Friday also stressed the urgency of water appropriation.

“We are committed to ensuring that no farm goes without water. We are working to electrify every household of the country,” he said.

The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies