Javadekar, Goyal meet Kerry

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar and Power Minister Piyush Goyal met US Secretary of State John Kerry here and discussed "a range of issues" including how India and the US can continue to work together on the issue of climate change as major economies.

The two ministers met Kerry last night, hours after the historic signing ceremony by 175 nations of the Paris climate change agreement in the United Nations headquarters.

Javadekar signed the agreement on behalf of India while Goyal co-chaired the meeting of the International Solar Alliance with Segolene Royal, the French Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy and President of the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) on the sidelines of the high-level climate change signing ceremony.

Following the meeting with Kerry, Javadekar told PTI the two sides discussed a "whole range of issues."

A top official said the meeting related to the manner in which India cooperated on climate change leading up to the Paris agreement and how both nations can continue to work together on the issue of Climate Change as major economies.

The two sides also discussed issues related to the Major Economies Forum scheduled for tomorrow and hosted by the US, the official added.

Javadekar will attend the conference. The ministers informed Kerry about the steps India was taking towards sustainable development and tackling climate change, including the 26 new initiatives taken by the Narendra Modi government since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in December last year such as the six dollar per tonne tax on coal production and building 500,000 toilets for girl students in schools where there were no separate toilets.