India will enter a world agreement to lower their greenhouse emissions.
India will enter a world agreement to lower their greenhouse emissions.
SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — India, one of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters, will sign the global agreement to draw down those emissions on Oct. 2.
The country’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, announced Sunday that he would sign the deal on Oct. 2, the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday.
India’s decision to join the agreement moves it significantly closer to taking effect. The deal kicks in when at least 55 countries representing 55 percent of global carbon emissions ratify it. So far, 61 countries have joined the deal, covering 47.79 percent of emissions, according to the World Resources Institute.
The country serves as the world’s fourth-largest emitter, representing 4.1 percent of emissions. Under the Paris deal, which aims to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, the country has not agreed to cut its total emissions but rather reduce its ratio of greenhouse gases-to-GDP by up to 35 percent by 2030.
The United States and China, the world’s two largest emitters, joined the agreement in early September, and 31 countries ratified it last week during the United Nations General Assembly.
The European Union, which as a bloc constitutes the third-most emissions, is aiming to join the deal in October, the EU’s top climate official said last week. Officials hope the deal will kick in before the end of the year.
