US to support India’s climate plans: Envoy

NEW DELHI

A top US official has declared that Washington will support India’s plans to combat climate change by giving it “affordable access to green technologies and requisite finance,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said Wednesday.

The assurance was extended by John Kerry, the special US presidential envoy for climate, in a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the capital New Delhi on Wednesday, the ministry said in a statement.

“The Prime Minister noted that India is committed to meeting its nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement and that it was among the few countries on track to meet these commitments,” said the statement.

“The Prime Minister agreed that cooperation between India and the United States, particularly on financing innovation and faster deployment of green technologies, would have a positive demonstration effect on other countries,” it added.

Kerry told Modi about “his fruitful and productive discussions over the last two days in India” and spoke “positively” about New Delhi’s “climate actions, including its ambitious renewable energy plans,” according to the ministry.

The Indian premier was also briefed about the coming leaders’ summit on climate being hosted by US President Joe Biden later this month, the statement added.