PM Modi Emphasizes India’s Low Per‑Capita Carbon Footprint at Climate Conference

At a packed hall in New Delhi on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reminded the audience that, per head, India releases far less carbon than most of the globe – under half the global average, to be precise. He made the point while inaugurating the International Conference on “The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics”, an event organised by the National Green Tribunal.

“Developed nations still emit six times more per person than we do,” Modi said, his tone a mix of pride and a gentle rebuke. He noted that the blame for rising emissions has too often been laid on developing countries, a narrative he insists is unfair.

He didn’t just stop at numbers. The Prime Minister walked the audience through a dozen‑year journey where renewable energy has moved from a buzzword to a backbone of policy. Solar capacity has swelled, non‑fossil fuel usage has risen, and India, he said, is the only G20 member to have met all its Paris‑Agreement pledges ahead of schedule.

Modi also pulled out a string of home‑grown initiatives – One Sun, One World, One Grid, the International Solar Alliance, the Coalition for Disaster‑Resilient Infrastructure, the Global Biofuel Alliance, the International Big‑Cat Alliance and Mission LiFE – to illustrate how India blends ecological stewardship with global cooperation.

Beyond the statistics, the Prime Minister invoked India’s cultural heritage, arguing that age‑old traditions can inspire modern solutions to climate woes. He urged the world to reckon with historic emissions, reminding listeners that the Global South has contributed far less to the atmospheric load yet bears a heavy share of the impact.

The two‑day conference, running September 19‑20, brought together judges, scientists and policy‑makers from India and abroad. While discussions churned on climate dynamics and governance, Modi took a moment to launch the NGT’s new mobile app – a tool aimed at tightening environmental oversight.

In his closing remarks, Modi called on every Indian to keep the momentum alive, to stay determined and to view development and responsibility not as opposing forces but as two sides of the same coin.