G20-CLIMATE 2LAST

India warded off pressure from China and the US at the India warded off pressure from China and the US at theG20 summit here when the US and China tried to set 2016 as adeadline to ratify the climate deal after they both ratifiedthe pact and handed over the instruments to the UN. NITI (National Institution for Transforming India)Aayog’s chief Aravind Panagariya, India’s Sherpa at theSummit, on Saturday said India and several other countriesbelieve they cannot ratify the deal due to various legalimpediments. Panagariya speaking to the media on the sidelines of theG20 summit said that India was not ready in terms ofdomestic actions to ratify before 2016 end, but will do so atthe earliest. "There was an issue with respect to the G20 endorsing aproposal that all members would ratify the Paris Agreement by2016. On that, there were some disagreements. So the finalcommunique plans to welcome countries that plan to ratify by2016, but others have said they would try to proceed as soonas possible," he said. On fossil fuels, Panagariya said many other countriesincluding India did not agree on certain date for endingfossil fuel subsidies. "There was a discussion on energy, including endingfossil fuel subsidies and this has been a commitment from thepast by the G20. But there was no agreement on that," he said. Chinese official media today said it is high time Indiafollow suit and Beijing could be a reliable partner for NewDelhi to curb emissions. "It is high time that the EU and India, the third – andthe fourth-largest emitters, also show they mean business whenit comes to limiting the effects of climate change," it said.PTI KJV PMSPMS