PARIS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's projection of India's voluntary initiatives - from Make in India to the solar mission and lifestyle changes aimed at addressing climate changes challenges - have become talking points on the global stage ahead of the mega climate meet scheduled to be held in Paris in December.

Amid increasing attention on India's target actions for the 21st session of the Conference of Parties (COP 21) and the Modi government strongly arguing its case, Laurence Tubiana, special representative of the French foreign minister for COP-21 and the French ambassador for climate negotiations, said it was only "fair" that every country wanted to decide on its own terms. "But then, I think the perception that we are in collective danger and we cannot act alone, is shared too", Tubiana told journalists during a recent interaction in Paris.

COP 21 is a significant climate meet to find consensus among 196 countries on keepingglobal warming below 2°C by cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions.

Europe, the US and China have all submitted their emission cut targets or Intended Nationally Deter mined Contributions (INDCs) for COP 21 and doubts are already being raised about how these will be enough to control global warming. India is expected to submit its INDCs by September.

Tubiana said most countries were not open to a review of INDCs, but COP 21 would urge them try and "overachieve" the targets and link these to the flow of finance.

Tubiana appreciated that India was deliberating on parity between renewable and coal in costs and the lifestyle changes that Modi had been talking of. She said attempts would be made at the COP level to have more "concrete discussions" on "what are the lifestyle changes". She termed the Make in India programme as a "massive step forward" to bring technology and investment to the country and termed the PM's proposal to create a coalition of countries on solar a "very interesting idea".

On the issue of pre-2020 targets that India has been raising, asking developed nations to take enhanced measures until 2020 when the possible new Paris agreement comes into effect, Tubiana said efforts were being made and the philosophy would be the same as after 2020 - overachieve the targets - but "one should not point fingers at anybody".

(This reporter was in Paris at the invitation of the French government)