New Delhi, Jan 25 : France and India have decided to unite their efforts to work against the major challenge of climate change.

Their efforts form part of the agenda outlined in the Bali Action Plan adopted on December 15, 2007 during the 13th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNNFCCC) and the 3rd session of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, in keeping with the principle of common, but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities that they have accepted.

France and India reinforce their exchanges in the field of climate change policies, with timely cooperation and exchange of views on international negotiations on climate change.

"In this regard, they are committed to work towards the swift achievement of a consensus by 2009 on long term cooperative action in the fight against climate change now, up-to and beyond 2012," said a joint declaration on global warming issued today.

They reaffirm that the goal of the international community in the face of climate change must be the stabilization of atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases to a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system as per the objective of the UNFCCC.

They also agreed that long-term convergence of per capita emissions of developing countries and developed countries is an important principle that should be seriously considered in context of the international climate change negotiations.

They shall jointly endeavour to achieve this, particularly by working actively and constructively within the framework of the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol.

"France and India commit themselves to strengthening cooperation on climate change and other environmental problems (biodiversity, water resources, desertification, natural calamities, forests, waste management, fight against pollutions), as well as to the promotion of technology R&D, including collaborative R&D, innovation, dissemination, application and transfer to developing countries," the declaration said.

They encourage the creation of joint initiatives in order to disseminate innovative technologies for fighting climate change.

They recognise the importance of reducing emissions from deforestation by working towards conservation and sustainable management of forests, afforestation, and reforestation.

Further, with a view to reinforcing their cooperation, France and India have decided to build a specific partnership, in the framework of their global strategic partnership, for fighting against climate change in order to reconcile, in their bilateral exchanges, the legitimate quest for a mutually beneficial economic growth, with environment-friendly measures, especially the fight against climate change. (ANI)