(New Delhi) The Indian prime minister will attend the COP26 climate summit, his office confirmed on Sunday, a positive signal for the conference which has been snubbed by some of the world’s top leaders.
Mr. Modi’s office said the climate summit would be a key opportunity to “chart the way forward”.
Officials have indicated that India, the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases behind the United States and China, will make a new offer, but without giving details.
More than 120 world leaders are expected at the biggest climate summit since the Paris negotiations in 2015, the 1er and November 2, but Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be conspicuous by their absence.
Climate envoys from the United States, the European Union and UK summit organizers have visited New Delhi several times in recent weeks to encourage the Modi government to do more to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Mr Modi will also travel to the Group of 20 summit in Rome next weekend, where rising temperatures will also be a key issue, his office said in a statement.
According to the International Energy Agency, India today produces the same amount of carbon dioxide as the European Union, even though its per capita consumption is two-thirds lower.
2021 post-pandemic economic recovery expected to see CO emissions, agency says2 India to exceed 2019 levels.