Modi Says India Leads Climate Action, Highlights Low Per‑Capita Emissions and Renewable‑Energy Gains

Speaking at the National Green Tribunal’s two‑day conference on “The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi reminded the audience that India’s relationship with nature runs deep – centuries‑old, he said, and still evolving.

“We have been, in a sense, a guide for the world on ecological issues,” Modi said, before launching the NGT Mobile App. He added a casual note, almost as a sigh, that many developing nations are still handed the blame for carbon emissions, a charge he called unfair.

He pointed out a stark number: India’s per‑capita carbon output is less than half the global average, and, astonishingly, the average citizen in a developed country emits about six times more CO₂ than an Indian. “We keep raising this point on international platforms,” he urged every Indian to feel the same resolve.

Looking back over the past 12 years, Modi highlighted a “extraordinary” jump in the country’s environmental performance. Renewable energy, he emphasized, has been the engine of that change – solar farms sprouting across deserts, wind turbines humming on coastlines, and non‑fossil‑fuel capacity swelling beyond expectations.

Crucially, India has already met the climate targets pledged at the 2015 Paris (COP‑21) summit, and it did so well before the deadline. “We’re the only G‑20 nation to have fulfilled those commitments early,” he said with a hint of pride, calling it the “power of New India.”

The conference, organized by the National Green Tribunal on September 19‑20, drew a blend of judges, policymakers and legal experts – including Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Attorney General R Venkataramani. Their presence underscored the message that climate action is now as much a legal as a scientific challenge.

In the end, Modi’s remarks were a mix of historical reverence, data‑driven facts and a call for continued determination – a reminder that while the world watches, India intends to keep shaping the climate conversation.