Prime Minister Narendra Modi said developed nations have six times higher per-capita carbon emissions than India, arguing that responsibility for climate pollution is often unfairly placed on developing countries. He made the remarks while inaugurating an international environment and climate conference in New Delhi on Saturday.
Modi said India’s per-capita carbon emissions remain less than half the global average. He added that India has been presenting the disparity between developed and developing countries on global platforms.
“We all know that the responsibility for carbon emissions has often been wrongly placed on developing countries. While the historical truth is that even today, India’s contribution to per capita carbon emissions is less than half of the global average,” he said at the two-day event.
The conference is being attended by environmental experts, Supreme Court judges, legal experts and senior government officials. Modi urged Indians to communicate the difference in per-capita emissions more forcefully, making climate inequality a central part of his address.
The prime minister also said India was working with the rest of the world while setting new standards for environmental protection. He pointed to the country’s focus on renewable energy and said India was the only G20 nation to have already fulfilled its Paris Agreement commitments ahead of its timeline.
Modi referred to non-fossil fuel capacity, solar energy and efforts to stop carbon emissions as areas in which India’s performance was being discussed internationally. The remarks link India’s climate position to both its demand for greater international recognition of emissions inequality and its domestic expansion of renewable energy.
The address also touched on nuclear energy. Modi said that whenever he takes forward work on nuclear energy generation, people who regularly speak about environmental protection move court to oppose it. He did not provide details of a specific case or project in the remarks reported by PTI.
India’s climate policy is therefore being presented through two parallel positions: the country is seeking recognition of its comparatively lower per-capita emissions while also highlighting renewable energy and non-fossil fuel progress. The conference will continue for two days with participation from environmental, legal and government representatives.
