16 April 2015
India, France Express Support to Successful Paris Conference
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President François Hollande issued a joint statement affirming their support to ensuring a successful outcome at the UN Paris Climate Change Conference in December 2015, and stressing the importance of timely submissions of intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs) and raising pre-2020 ambition.

In the statement, made during an official visit by Prime Minister Modi to Paris, France, the two leaders also announced cooperation on smart cities and sustainable energy.

Agreement_India_France14 April 2015: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President François Hollande issued a joint statement affirming their support to ensuring a successful outcome at the UN Paris Climate Change Conference in December 2015, and stressing the importance of timely submissions of intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs) and raising pre-2020 ambition. In the statement, made during an official visit by Prime Minister Modi to Paris, France, the two leaders also announced cooperation on smart cities and sustainable energy.

Underscoring that “tackling the issue of climate change is of vital importance for the sake of today’s world and future generations,” Prime Minister Modi and President Hollande emphasized the need for all countries to work together to conclude, in Paris, “an ambitious, comprehensive, universal, balanced and equitable climate agreement.” They also stressed, inter alia: the submission by parties of their INDCs “well before COP 21” as “an important step on the road to Paris;” the importance of immediate action to raise pre-2020 ambition; and the need to fulfil pre-2020 commitments. Acknowledging the complementary role of voluntary international initiatives, the leaders highlighted the importance of enhancing bilateral cooperation in research and development (R&D) and technology innovation, and in diffusion of clean energy and efficiency solutions.

On smart cities, the two leaders agreed to include smart city cooperation as an area of technical cooperation under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in the Field of Sustainable Urban Development signed between France and India in October 2012.

The statement also covers issues relating to: security; defence; space; nuclear energy; economic cooperation; “people-to-people contacts”; heritage and cultural cooperation; and education, science and technology, sports and health. On economic cooperation: France welcomed India’s energy access and renewable energy objectives; India welcomed a target set by French companies to develop 8 to 10 GW of solar energy in India by 2020-2022; and France confirmed support to projects in India in the areas of energy-efficient lighting and inter-ministry renewable energy cooperation.

The 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), or the Paris Climate Change Conference, will take place from 30 November to 11 December 2015. [UNFCCC Press Release] [India and France Joint Statement on French Presidency’s Website]


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