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US and India set to join UN climate deal and agree on renewables

India's climate move could help clear hurdle for Paris agreement, as Prime Minister Modi meets President Obama over US investment in Indian energy market
Asia's largest solar power station, in Gujarat, India
Asia鈥檚 largest solar power station, in Gujarat, India
Ashley Cooper/Corbis Documentary/Getty

It would firmly put the Paris deal on the road to becoming a reality.

When he meets with US President Barack Obama on Tuesday, India鈥檚 prime minister, Narendra Modi, is likely to announce that his country will ratify the 2015 Paris agreement to limit global warming.

he would use his executive power to make the US ratify the agreement first reached聽in December and then signed at the UN headquarters in April.

This would clear the of getting nations accounting for at least 55 per cent of global carbon emissions to officially join the agreement before it takes effect.

The last roadblock would then be getting enough countries 鈥 55 鈥 to join. So far聽that make up 49 per cent of emissions have joined.

Need for energy

But India鈥檚 ability to meet its ambitious climate goals depends on US investment in India鈥檚 development of clean energy, said a panel hosted by the ahead of the meeting.聽A clean-energy partnership is also on the discussion agenda for Modi and Obama when they meet tomorrow.

India鈥檚 energy needs are huge: some in the country still have no access to electricity.

For the nation to meet its target of producing 100 gigawatts of solar energy by 2022, it needs financial backing from US investors with interest rates that keep the energy affordable for citizens, says , chief spokesperson for India at the Paris climate summit last December.聽鈥淚 think it鈥檚 eminently doable by 2022,鈥 he says. 鈥淭he devil is in the details.鈥

鈥淭he important thing now is [to ask] what can the United States do to help drive more money into India?鈥 says , a former India counsellor for the US Department of State. 鈥淲e should be looking for a package of creative finance solutions the United States and India can work on and announce.鈥

Striking a deal requires actions on both sides, with India working to reform financial regulations and the US Department of State encouraging private companies to invest, says Light. 鈥淭hen I think you can really see things accelerate at a much faster pace.鈥

Read more: UN climate chief: Here鈥檚 why Paris climate deal will work;
Paris is a pragmatic climate deal, even if it is 25 years late

Topics: Climate change / Energy and fuels / Environment / India / United States