India stated on June 7 that it plans to work towards joining the 2015 Paris climate accord this year. India joins the United States and China with this commitment, providing momentum to the international push to curb climate change. U.S. President Barack Obama welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi to the White House, highlighting the strong relationship between the leaders of the world's two largest democracies. As India is the world's third-largest greenhouse gas emitter after China and the United States, India's entrance into the Paris agreement would accelerate the enactment of the agreement, possibly by years. The Paris Agreement will take effect when 55 countries representing 55 percent of global emissions have ratified it. The United States and India released a joint statement that affirmed, "India and the United States recognize the urgency of climate change and share the goal of enabling entry into force of the Paris Agreement as early as possible." Additionally, President Obama and Prime Minister Mode stated that they would collaborate on an amendment to the Montreal Protocol to reduce hydrofluorocarbons, a greenhouse gas. For the full story, see http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-india-usa-climate-idUKKCN0YT22U.