India and France on Wednesday agreed to further joint initiatives on solar power, eliminating single use plastic and green hydrogen.
Environment and Climate change Minister Prakash Javadekar had a bilateral meeting with Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France Jean Yves Le Drian in which both discussed boosting global action on climate change.
Speaking at a panel organised at the Embassy of France, Javadekar stressed national circumstances, the need for affordable technolgy, and equity while tackling climate change.
He said India would raise its climate ambitions based on national circumstances.
“Many countries are now saying don’t use coal but the alternative has to be much cheaper than coal, only then India will do away with coal,” he said.
Javadekar said India will also continue to ask developed countries for finance and support.
“We must also take into consideration climate justice to poor nations. They have the right to develop. Developed countries should finance what they committed,” he said.
Le Drian said strategic environmental partnership between India and France enables the two countries to bring determination in the international arena.
“Our cooperation will be all the more fruitful as we share similarities in terms of our electricity mix, which is based on both renewables and nuclear energy,” he said.
France and India are also cooperating together under the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, which was launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019.
The International Solar Alliance is a joint initiative of France and India, launched during COP21 to promote solar energy.
