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June 3 (UPI) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed his nation will continue to go "above and beyond" in its fulfillment of the Paris accord on combating climate change. While speaking in Paris at a news conference alongside French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday, Modi said the agreement was part of "our duty to protect Mother Earth."
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Modi's comments came two days after President Donald Trump announced the United States would leave the accord.
India is one of the four largest emitters of carbon dioxide, alongside China, the United States and the European Union, and one of 195 countries that signed the accord which sets stringent standards to restrict carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases.
Modi did not directly criticize Trump's decision to abandon the accord, but did stress the importance of the international pact.
"The Paris agreement is the common heritage of the world. It is a gift that this generation can give," he said.
President Macron said he and Modi spoke for two hours about trade, defense and the anti-terror fight but added they "mainly discussed our commitment to the climate."
Macron said he would visit India before the year's end for an international summit on solar power.
