Environmental sustainability can only be achieved through climate justice: PM Modi

New Delhi [India], February 16 : Noting that India will continue to work for climate-resilient policies and practices as it has always done, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that environmental sustainability can only be achieved through climate justice.
In his inaugural address at TERI's World Sustainable Development Summit, the Prime Minister referred to three global coalitions pioneered by India and said they will form the trinity of the country's environmental efforts for improving the global commons.
He said Indians have always lived in harmony with nature. "Our culture, rituals, daily practices and numerous harvest festivals demonstrate our strong bonds with nature. Reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, re-design and re-manufacture have been part of India's cultural ethos. India will continue to act for climate-resilient policies and practices as we have always done," the Prime Minister said.
Noting that India is a mega-diverse country, the Prime Minister said India accounts for nearly 8 per cent of the world's species though it has 2.4 per cent of the world's land area, "It is our duty to protect this ecology. We are strengthening our Protected Area network."
PM Modi said that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has recognized India's efforts and Aravalli Biodiversity Park in Haryana has been declared as an Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECM) site for its effective conservation of biodiversity.
"I am also glad that two more wetlands from India have got recognition as Ramsar sites recently. India now has 49 Ramsar sites spread over more than one million hectares. Restoring degraded land has been one of our main focus areas," he said.
"Since 2015, we have restored more than 11.5 million hectares. We are on track to achieve the national commitment of Land Degradation Neutrality under the Bonn Challenge. We firmly believe in fulfilling all our commitments made under the UNFCCC. We have also raised our ambitions during CoP-26 at Glasgow. I firmly believe, and I am sure you would agree that environmental sustainability can only be achieved through climate justice," he added.
The Prime Minister said the energy requirements of the people of India are expected to nearly double in the next twenty years.
"Denying this energy would be denying life itself to millions. Successful climate actions also need adequate financing. For this, developed countries need to fulfil their commitments on finance and technology transfer," he said.
He said sustainability requires coordinated action for the global commons.
"Our efforts have recognised this inter-dependence. Through the International Solar Alliance, our aim is 'One Sun, One World, One Grid'. We must work towards ensuring the availability of clean energy from a worldwide grid everywhere at all times. This is the ''whole of the world'' approach that India's values stand for," he said.
Referring to Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), he said it aims to build strong infrastructure in areas prone to frequent natural disasters. On the side-lines of CoP-26, India also launched an initiative called 'Infrastructure for the Resilient Island States'. The Island Developing States are the most vulnerable and hence need urgent protection, he said.
"To these two initiatives, we now add LIFE - LIfestyle For Environment. LIFE is about making lifestyle choices to improve our planet. LIFE will be a coalition of like-minded people across the world who will promote sustainable lifestyles. I call them 3Ps - Pro Planet People. This global movement of Pro Planet People (3-Ps) is the Coalition for LIFE. These three global coalitions will form the trinity of our environment efforts for improving the global commons," he said.
The Prime Minister said India's traditions and culture is the source of his inspiration and recalled that he spoke last year about how the health of people and the planet is inter-linked.
The three-day summit is being attended by President of Dominican Republic Luis Abinader, President of Guyana Irfaan Ali, Deputy Secretary-General of United Nations, heads of various intergovernmental organisations, ministers and envoys and delegates from several countries.