PM Modi, Obama join hands to take on carbon emission menace

Uniting for a common goal on climate change, US President Barack Obama called Narendra Modi ‘close friend’ as the leaders discuss clean energy technology.

India and the US said on Monday that an agreement in Paris must require all nations to pursue action to curb carbon pollution without impeding development goals of countries like India.

PM Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama at a meeting during the summit in Paris. (PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama, on the sidelines of the Paris conference on climate change, “agreed that the Paris agreement must drive serious and ambitious action by all nations to curb carbon pollution, while at the same time protecting the ability of countries such as India to pursue their priorities of development, growth, and poverty eradication”, the White House said in a statement.

Obama called Modi a “close friend” — they have met at least six times so far in just over a year of their meeting in DC in 2014. Modi reciprocated by calling Obama a friend twice, adding, “I have such a deep relationship that we are able to openly discuss all issues”.

They also spoke of Mission Innovation, a ground-breaking new initiative by the US that is expected to accelerate the pace at which the world can develop and deploy affordable clean energy technology.

India has been seeking transfer of clean technologies at affordable prices for global good and wants the copyright price for the technology be paid through Green Climate Fund supported by finances from the developed world. The US on the other hand wants to push cleaner technologies should joint collaborations with different countries without tinkering with the copyright regime.