Trump cites India while quitting Paris
the Paris agreement. While avoiding direct comment on Trump’s announcement, he said even before Paris agreement, India has been working to protect the climate.
Power minister Piyush Goyal and environment minister Harsh Vardhan said here that New Delhi remains committed to the Paris agreement regardless of what other countries do.
“India under…Modi’s leadership has taken up renewable energy as an article of faith and is steadfast on its Paris commitments, irrespective of what others do,” Goyal said. Vardhan said the world’s third largest greenhouse gas emitter was committed to doing its best to address climate change.
Trump, who once said global warming is a hoax perpetrated by Beijing to weaken American manufacturing, singled out India and China while listing reasons for withdrawing from the climate change accord.
“India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions and billions and billions of dollars in foreign aid from developed countries... But the bottom line is that the Paris accord is very unfair, at the highest level, to the US,” he said.
“India can double their coal production. We’re supposed to get rid of ours,” he added.
Trump also said China would be able to increase emissions from a “staggering” 13 years and build hundreds of additional coal plants. “They can do whatever they want for 13 years. Not us,” he said.
CONTINUED ON P 5