Guterres thanks Modi for raising India's contribution to climate change pact

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for increasing India's contribution to the Paris Agreement for reducing greenhouse emissions and fighting climate change, according to a UN spokesperson.

When they met on Thursday night in Buenos Aires, "they discussed the upcoming UN climate change conference (COP24) and the importance of the completion of the Paris Agreement Work Programme, its transparency framework and climate finance," Guterres's Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Friday.

"The Secretary-General also thanked Mr. Modi for his commitment to increase India's nationally determined contributions to the Paris Agreement," he added.

India has committed itself to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions intensity of gross domestic product (EIGDP) by 33 per cent to 35 per cent below the 2005 levels by 2030, according to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

EIGDP is the amount of greenhouse gas emissions created by a unit of GDP.

A UNEP report last month said that India was on its way to meeting its target and was projected to be even more than 10 per cent below its target of greenhouse gas emissions.

The 24th round of the UN climate change conference known as the Conference of Parties 24 (COP24) begins on Sunday in Katowice, Poland.

World leaders and experts at the conference will discuss action plans to achieve the Paris Climate Change Agreement's goal of limitingAglobal temperature rise during this centuryAto less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

--IANS

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