Country is seeking greater flexibility, says Arvind Panagariya on the sidelines of the G20 summit at Hangzhou.

China and the United States on Saturday ratified the Paris accord to cut climate warming emissions, but India is seeking greater “flexibility,” and does not want to commit to ratification by the year-end.

The Paris climate deal was discussed in detail in the drafting of the communiqué that will be issued at the end of the G20 summit on Monday, said Arvind Panagariya, head of the Niti Ayog, and India’s Sherpa to the G20 summit.

‘Most contentious issue’

Dr. Panagariya told a group of Indian journalists that the climate change issue had become the most contentious issue during the drafting of the G20 communiqué.

“There were many countries which said that their domestic procedure do not allow ratification by 2016-end,” he observed.

He added: “We chose a language that allowed flexibility for some to ratify by 2016 and some others not to do so.” “So there was lot of discussion. There will be submissions of progress that will happen periodically.”

Regarding India’s position during negotiations, Dr. Panagariya said: “We were not sure when we went for negotiations for a commitment. There are certain legal procedures that are in play. It is a matter of certain procedures.”

Obama, Xi hand papers to Ban

Earlier, U.S. President Barack Obama Chinese President Xi Jinping handed ratified documents to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

“Just as I believe the Paris agreement will ultimately prove to be a turning point for our planet, I believe that history will judge today's efforts as pivotal,” Mr. Obama observed.

“We have a saying in America that you need to put your money where your mouth is. And when it comes to combating climate change, that’s what we’re doing. Both the United States and China, we’re leading by example.”

At a joint ceremony, Mr. Xi said it “speaks to the shared ambition and resolve of China and the United States in addressing global issues.”