India environmental and climate policy developments

At an international conference organized by the National Green Tribunal in New Delhi, titled ‘The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted India’s environmental progress and climate responsibilities.

Modi reported that India’s per capita carbon emissions remain less than half of the global average, noting that developed countries emit approximately six times more carbon per person than India. He argued that the responsibility for emissions has been “unfairly placed on developing nations” and emphasized the goal of proving that economic development and environmental sustainability can coexist.

Furthering this narrative, the Prime Minister stated that India is the only G20 nation to have fulfilled all Paris COP21 summit commitments ahead of schedule. He cited specific advancements, including solar power capacity increasing from 2 GW to over 160 GW over twelve years, and the electric vehicle market growing from 3,000 annual sales to 2.5 million. Other achievements noted included the expansion of metro rail services from five to twenty cities, railway electrification to reduce diesel usage, and a ban on single-use plastics.

Additionally, the Prime Minister pointed to the implementation of FASTag as a measure to reduce fuel consumption and idling at toll plazas. During the event, which included judicial representatives and environmental experts from 17 countries, the Prime Minister also launched the National Green Tribunal mobile application to assist the public and legal professionals in accessing case information and statuses.