Development can be environment-friendly: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said development can be environment-friendly and may not come at the cost of green assets, while asserting that India’s traditions long stressed the importance of living in harmony with nature.

“Plastic pollution is now entering into our food chain. Per capita plastic consumption in India is much lower than many parts of the developed world. Our national mission on cleanliness and 'Swachchh Bharat Abhiyan' has a special focus on plastic waste management,” he said at the plenary session of an event organised at Vigyan Bhavan here on World Environment Day.

India is hosting the World Environment Day this year with the theme — 'Beat Plastic Pollution.'

“Our experience shows that development can be environment friendly and it need not come at the cost of our green assets,” he pointed out.

Noting that India is the fastest growing economy in the world today, he said, “We are committed to rising the standards of living of our people” and “to ensure that we do so in a way that is sustainable and green”. The Prime Minister said as part of Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), India is committed to reducing 33-35 per cent of emission intensity of its GDP during 2005-2030.

He said India is also on track to meet the nationally determined contribution and we are proud to be the global host of World Environment Day.

“Our motto is more crop per drop. We are already the 5th largest producer of Solar energy in the World. Not also this we are the 6th largest producer of renewable energy in the World,” Modi added.

He also pointed out that “Our choices today will define our collective future. Let us build strong partnerships, make the right choices and make our future cleaner as well as greener. The quest for material prosperity cant lead to environmental degradation. We must remember that an unclean environment hurts the poor and vulnerable the most.”

Earlier, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Erik Solheim — who is in India to participate in plastic awareness events organised across the country — appreciated the role that India was playing in fighting problems of climate change and environmental degradation.

He also lauded the Prime Minister for his willingness to tackle these challenges. “He is a global leader in tackling climate change. President Xi of China, President Macron of France and Prime Minister Modi have set up the International Solar Alliance,” he said.