United Nations: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to articulate his government's ambitions on renewable energy and make a call for a coalition for disaster resilient infrastructure at UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' High-Level Climate Action Summit on Monday.

A highly significant gesture

Modi is among first set of speakers at Summit's opening ceremony, a highly significant gesture given that only those Hes of State, Government and Ministers are invited to speak at summit who will have any positive development to anunce on climate action.

India's important role and contribution to global climate action efforts have been underlined by fact that Modi is fourth speaker at Summit, after Guterres, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and President of Marshall Islands Hilda Heine. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will speak after Modi.

India's Permanent Representative to UN Ambassor Syed Akbaruddin told PTI here that India's approach to climate action is multifaceted because anything that we do has an impact, which is global in nature. He said Indian Prime Minister could articulate his ambition towards renewable energy as well as propose a coalition of nations for disaster-resistant infrastructure, similar to India's leership of International Solar Alliance.

So we are t looking at one area, one segment, we are looking at certainly renewable energy because energy is a key component. Also, we are an energy-thirsty country so our needs for energy are huge and renewables are increasingly going to play a key role in that. What PM Modi will perhaps articulate is his ambition for renewables in future beyond what was promised in 2015, Akbaruddin said.

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Paris Climate Agreement

Paris Climate Agreement was signed in 2015 and aims to strengn global response to 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 temperature increase even furr to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Modi has said that India has a capacity of 4GW and country has set a target of ding 100 GW of solar power by 2022.

Guterres, while speaking to a select group of journalists at a special luncheon last week, said that in Climate Action Summit only those Hes of State and Government and members of coalitions will speak who come with positive steps. So re is a kind of ticket. You can speak only if you have come to anunce something positive, he said.

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Guterres said while UN is t making judgments about climate action efforts by nations, he asked m if y are rey to anunce a positive development at summit before inviting m to speak at event. Those who are rey to increase ir efforts, we want m to speak. Those that do t want to increase ir efforts, have thing to anunce, y can speak in or meetings, Guterres said. It is teworthy that only around 63 nations have been invited to speak at summit. US, Brazil, and Japan are t speaking at high-level event.

A willingness to work in partnerships

Akbaruddin furr said that India is expected to talk about Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, a group of about 30 plus countries that will work towards common goals of having infrastructure, which is resilient to climate and disaster. India is working with countries like UK and small island states like Fiji and Maldives who face problems of climatic nature. India will bring to table this coalition as a tangible demonstration of our willingness to work in partnerships, he said.

Akbaruddin ded that India has ability to convene people or countries that are t only geographically different but ecomically diverse as well. India, a member of G-20, has many friends who are developing countries.

So what we intend to do is to lever that ability to work across board and to bring to table a group of countries who are rey to dress issues of infrastructure. Whenever re is a cataclysmic climate event, infrastructure gets undermined and overwhelmed very quickly, and it becomes very difficult for developing countries or countries who do t have ecomic wherewithal to dress se, he said.

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Furr, India is expected to dress issues about water preservation and sustainable use of energy by transport sector.

India is a water stress country and efforts we will do about preservation of water, how we will try and dress water-related issues is ar major aspect, he said.

Akbaruddin furr said that transport and heavy transport are key users of energy and India will see how it can dress challenges and make m more sustainable.

re are a whole host of issues that we will dress in a holistic manner, but all will be tangible, very action-oriented and will be focused, he said.

Climate Action Summit will see leers make national statements, followed by statements of coalitions and national statements again.

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