In news

India and Finland signed a MOU for developing cooperation between two countries in the field of Environment protection and biodiversity conservation.

Highlights

• The MoU was signed virtually by Shri Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change from the Indian side and Ms Krista Mikkonen, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Government of Finland from the Finnish side.
• This MOU will definitely commits India & Finland to work together more closely towards on the fulfilment of commitments made under Paris Agreement.
• India has achieved its voluntary target of reducing emissions intensity of its GDP by 21% over 2005 levels, by 2020 and is poised to achieve 35% reduction well before the target year of 2030.
• The MoU will strengthen technological, scientific and management capabilities and develop bilateral cooperation in the field of environmental protection and biodiversity conservation .

Partnership and support areas

• Prevention of Air and water pollutio
• Waste management
• Promotion of circular economy
• Low-carbon solutions and sustainable management of natural resources including forests
• Climate change
• Conservation of Marine and Coastal Resources; etc.

What is the Paris Agreement?

At COP 21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015, Parties to the UNFCCC reached a landmark agreement to combat climate change and to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future. 

Aim

• To strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
• To increase the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change, and at making finance flows consistent with a low GHG emissions and climate-resilient pathway. 

Source: PIB