Climate change should be collectively addressed: France

Warns that a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is not achievable without equitable access to sustainable development

Asking the international community to work together on climate change and not against each other, France today warned that a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is not achievable without equitable access to sustainable development.

Noting that 2015 will be a "defining moment" as far as climate change is concerned, it also made an impassioned plea to the nations to agree on major issues before assembling in Paris later this year for inking a deal to limit global warming to below 2 degree celsius.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who is the President of the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties (CoP 21), referred to the report produced by IPCC, a UN-appointed panel, which has "confirmed that climate change, or rather climate disruption, is a threat", and said that the world should "act now" to deal with it.

"The scientific community has done its job - it is now to governments, businesses, civil society to act," he said inaugurating the 15th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) organised by the Energy Resource Institute (TERI) here.

He asked political leadership all across the world to act in "collective spirit" to achieve low carbon growth.

"No doubt, 2015 will be a defining moment for our action. Today, more than ever, we need to address climate and development together, not against each other," the visiting French leader said in the presence of Union Ministers Suresh Prabhu and Prakash Javadekar.

He sought increased financing from public and private sources for achieving USD 100 billion Green Climate Fund (GCF) and shifting business from high carbon to low carbon technology.

"No significant reduction of greenhouse gas emission can be achieved without equitable access to sustainable development," Fabius said.

Operationalisation of GCF and access to clean technology at an affordable cost are among the key demands by developing nations including India from developed countries which are historically responsible for the climate change.

Fabius, who is also former Prime Minister of France said, as the president of CoP 21, his country will make sure that every voice is heard and hoped that the agreement to be signed in Paris would be "transparent, impartial and ambitious".

"I hope that we shall be able to agree on major issues even before that," he said.