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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday emphasised Indias focus on expanding clean and low-carbon energy sources, including nuclear power, saying the countrys environmental approach was centred on combining development with sustainability.
Addressing the International Conference on The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics, organised by the National Green Tribunal in New Delhi, Modi said Indias clean-energy transition was not limited to solar power and highlighted the expansion of wind, hydropower and nuclear energy. Alongside solar energy, India has achieved significant milestones in other clean energy sectors as well, Modi said, noting that the countrys wind-energy capacity had tripled over the past 12 years and hydropower capacity had also grown. On nuclear power, the Prime Minister said India was rapidly advancing nuclear energy generation and took a swipe at what he described as a contradiction in the environmental debate. Those who deliver long speeches about the environment are the very ones who rush to court to try to halt nuclear energy projects when I push them forward, Modi said. India has set a target of taking its nuclear power capacity to 100 GW by 2047 as part of its Nuclear Energy Mission. The government has also announced measures to facilitate wider participation in the sector and develop small modular reactors. Modi said India was pursuing multiple pathways to cleaner energy and more sustainable mobility, including coal gasification, hydrogen and electric vehicles. He referred to the recent launch of Indias first indigenous hydrogen-powered train, saying it marked a new phase in clean mobility. The train began operations on the Jind-Sonipat section in July this year. Highlighting the scale of Indias solar expansion, Modi said the countrys solar-energy capacity had risen from around 2 GW 12 years ago to more than 160 GW. He said over 50 lakh homes had received rooftop solar installations under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, while around 30 lakh farmers had benefited from solar pumps under the PM-KUSUM scheme. The Prime Minister also highlighted Indias international climate initiatives, including the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Global Biofuel Alliance, International Big Cat Alliance and Mission LiFE. He said India had consistently advocated greater equity in global climate action, pointing out that its per-capita carbon emissions remained below the global average. Indias approach is rooted in its civilisational traditions, Modi said, adding that the country was seeking to offer solutions to contemporary climate challenges while also calling for collective global action. The two-day NGT conference, being held on September 19 and 20, brings together judges, environmental experts, policymakers and judicial representatives from 17 countries to deliberate on climate change, environmental governance and environmental justice. (ANI)
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