India PM highlights new climate goals in speech to Congress

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday highlighted for Congress new climate work he and President Obama initiated this week. 

During a speech before a joint meeting of Congress, Modi said “ the protection of environment and caring for the planet is central to [Indians’] shared vision of a just world.”

{mosads}He said the climate partnership with the United States “aims to balance responsibilities with capacities” as both countries look to deploy more renewable energy. 

During Modi’s visit to Washington this week, India said it would look to ratify the Paris climate deal, a major step toward having the deal take effect this year.

India and the United States also agreed to work on a host of other clean energy issues, including the deployment of nuclear power in India and a $60 million effort to get other renewables, such as solar, off the ground. 

India is one of the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, making its participation in global climate work critical for efforts to combat climate change.

The White House said this week that climate change is “an area of growing and deepening cooperation” between the U.S. and India and for Obama and Modi personally.

“For us in India, to live in harmony with Mother Earth is part of our ancient belief, and, to take from nature only what is most essential is part of our civilizational ethos,” Modi said on Wednesday. 

“We are working together not just for a better future for ourselves, but for the whole world.”