Big question mark on US stand on COP21 deal, says Pradhan

Raising doubts about US' stand on Paris climate deal (COP21), Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today said now there is a question mark what would happen to the deal when President-elect Donald Trump takes charge.
China and the US, together responsible for around 40 per cent of the world's carbon emissions, have ratified the Paris climate change deal that aims to significantly reduce global emissions.
Pradhan said the US was very much committed to decisions taken at Conference of Parties (CoP) on climate change in Paris last year under President Barack Obama.
"When Obama was then there was different commitment towards COP21. Now when Donald Trump has come, what would happen to COP21, there is a question mark on the issue," Pradhan said addressing at ministerial session of Petrotech conference here.

According to reports, President Donald Trump has called global warming a "hoax" and has pledged to "cancel" the Paris deal limiting greenhouse gas emissions.
India ratified the COP21 agreement on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2 this year.

About petroleum sector moving toward less cash transactions, the minister said that as per the statistics of card payments in four days to December 6, more customers are paying through cards at fuel stations in Mumbai.
"Delhi is already ahead of this on card usage," he said.
Earlier this month the government cut short the deadline of using old Rs 500 notes at petrol pumps till December 2 instead of December 15 announced earlier.

Pradhan further said, "In eastern part of the country there is a lot of noise (against demonetisation). Our chief minister Didi (Mamata Banerjee) is roaming around. Maximum growth of card usage has been recorded there (West Bengal). The card transactions (at petrol pumps) have increased from 20 per cent to 40 per cent recording 100 per cent growth in West Bengal during the last four days."
Stressing on the need for increasing proportion of renewables in energy mix of the country, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said Indian Railways has planned to invest USD 142 billion in the next four-and-a-half years as capital expenditure.

Addressing at the same session, Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari stressed on the need for use of bio-fuels like second generation ethanol produced from paddy and wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse.
Gadkari said that the government has increased per day road construction rate to 28 km from 2 km earlier.