Modi says India to strike own path in climate battle

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signalled on Monday he would not bow to foreign pressure to commit to cuts in carbon emissions, instead pledging to use more clean energy and traditional methods to lead the fight against climate change.

India, the world's No.3 emitter of greenhouse gases, has come under pressure to tackle its rapidly rising emissions since the United States and China committed last November to start cutting their own emissions after a "peak year".

United Nations climate talks will be held in Paris later this year to look at ways to limit a damaging rise in global temperatures. Getting India to agree to a strategy to lower its own emissions is vital if the talks are to be judged a success.