India and France have always been the spearheads in climate action since the Paris Agreement and can assume a leadership role in the run-up to COP26 at Glasgow in November, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Wednesday.
He said the two countries can further deepen collaboration to lower the production cost of carbon-free hydrogen and work together to fight single-use plastics.
Le Drian, who is on a three-day visit to India, was delivering a closing speech at a panel discussion at the French Embassy on boosting global action against climate change in view of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26).
Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar also attended the event.
"The year 2021 is a very decisive year for our planet, with three COPs, particularly the COP26. There is a very big window of opportunity that we must seize together," the French minister said.
"We have both decided that it was very important that India and France can assume a leadership role in the run-up to the COP26," he said.