New Delhi: France, Chair of the crucial UN Climate Conference, on Thursday made an impassioned plea to the world to "agree on major issues" before assembling in Paris later this year for inking a "universal and meaningful agreement" to limit global warming to below 2 degree celsius.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius also asked political leadership all across the world to act in "collective spirit" to achieve low carbon growth.
Inaugurating the 15th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) organised by the Energy Resource Institute (TERI) in the presence of Union Ministers Suresh Prabhu and Prakash Javadekar, the French Minister spoke about the need for operationalisation of USD 100 billion Green Climate Fund (GCF) and shifting business from high carbon to low carbon technology.
"No significant reduction of greenhouse gas emission can be achieved without equitable access to sustainable development," Fabius said.
Operationalisation of GCF and access to clean technology at an affordable cost are among the key demands by developing nations including India from developed countries which are historically responsible for the climate change.
The French Minister said as the president of the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties (CoP 21), his country will make sure that "every voice is heard" and hoped that the agreement to be signed in Paris would be ambitious and respond to the calls for urgent action to address climate change.
"This agreement should be an agreement among all and for all. This agreement we need to be ambitious and respond to the sounding calls for urgent action. And equally, it will need to fully take into account each country's right to development," the visiting French leader said.
"I hope that we shall be able to agree on major issues even before that," said Fabius, who is also former Prime Minister of France.
He expressed the hope that all nations would submit their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) as early as possible for negotiating the climate deal.
