Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India has taken up the issue of climate justice with every developed nation of the world which followed the path of development, leaving concerns of the environment for another day.

Greeting the world on World Environment Day in a video message, he said protection of the world climate requires that every country should rise above selfish interests. For a long time, the advanced nations followed a model of development which was contradictory, and gave the environment a secondary place, he said.

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The prime minister said these countries achieved their development targets, though the world environment had to pay a price for this. For decades, there was none questioning them and no country could stop them. Even today developing and poor nations of the world are suffering due to the wrong policies followed by some developed countries, he said.

Modi said the theme of this year’s Environment Day is getting rid of single-use plastic. He said what the world is talking about today, India has been doing for the last four to five years. In 2018, India had launched a two-pronged attack on the problem – banning its use and making plastic waste processing compulsory.

Today, there is compulsory recycling of about 30 lakh tonnes of plastic packaging in India, which is 75 per cent of the total annual plastic waste produced in India. Around 10,000 producers, importers and brands are covered by the operations today, the Prime Minister said.

He said India is following a clear road-map on climate change and protection of the environment. India has brought a balance between its present requirements and future vision. While the needs of the poorest have been met, the country has taken big steps to meet the energy requirements of the future.

During the last nine years, India made an unprecedented focus on green and clean energy, the Prime Minister said. Solar power and LED bulbs helped people cutting their energy bills, as well as contributing towards protecting the environment. India started Mission Green Hydrogen and took major steps towards natural farming to save soil and water from chemical fertilizers.

In the last nine years, he said, the number of wetlands and Ramsar sites in India has increased almost three times. Two new schemes have been launched on Monday to further the campaign of Green Future, Green Economy, the Prime Minister said.

He said the ‘Amrit Dharohar Yojana’ will ensure conservation of the Ramsar sites through public participation. In future, these sites will become the centre of eco-tourism and be a source of green jobs for thousands of people.

The second scheme is the ‘Mishti Yojana’ which will help in reviving as well as protecting the mangrove ecosystem of the country. With this, the Prime Minister said the mangrove cover will be restored in nine states of the country and help in mitigating the threat to lives and livelihoods in coastal areas from rising sea levels and disasters like cyclones.

The prime minister said India is investing in an unprecedented manner in its infrastructure, but focussing on the environment equally. Along with the expansion of 4G and 5G connectivity, the country’s forest cover is also rising. He said while India built four crore houses for the poor, there was a record increase in the number of Wildlife Sanctuaries, as well as wildlife, in India.

Along with the Jal Jeevan Mission, there has been construction of 50,000 Amrit Sarovars for water security. India is becoming the 5th largest economy in the world, joining top five countries in renewable energy, increasing agricultural exports and running a campaign for blending 20 per cent ethanol in petrol, he said.

He said India has become the base of organizations like Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure – CDRI, and the International Big Cat Alliance.  Speaking about Mission LiFE i.e. Lifestyle for Environment becoming a public movement, the Prime Minister highlighted that the mission is spreading a new consciousness about lifestyle changes to combat climate change.

The prime minister said that every step taken towards Mission LiFE will become a strong shield for the environment in the times to come. A collection of Thought Leadership for LiFE has been released today, he said.