India will work above, beyond Paris Agreement: Sushma

New York, Sep 20 (IANS) India will work above and beyond the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has said while stressing that living in harmony with nature is central to the ethos of India.

At a meeting of select leaders convened by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres here on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly Session, Sushma Swaraj said India understood its responsibility towards Mother Earth.

"India will continue to work on this above and beyond the Paris Agreement. Our commitment is for the future generations," she was quoted as saying by External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar in a tweet.

"Ready to work closely with UNSG and relevant UN agencies, especially in the context of the International Solar Alliance," she said.

The India-initiated International Solar Alliance, launched at the UN Conference of Parties (CoP) climate summit in Paris on November 30, 2015, by Prime Minister Modi and then French President Francois Hollande, is conceived as a coalition of solar resource-rich countries to address their special energy needs and provide a platform to collaborate on dealing with the identified gaps through a common, agreed approach.

It is open to all 121 prospective member countries falling between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.

At a separate Leadership Summit on Environment Pact presided by French President Emmanuel Macron, also on Tuesday, Sushma Swaraj said India has been a long standing active participant in global debates relating to environment and development.

"Living in harmony with nature and sustainable patterns of consumption is central to our ethos," she said.