In an exclusive interview with Moneycontrol, Prime Minister Narendra Modi voiced his support for taking a "constructive, rather than purely restrictive approach in the response to the climate crisis". His statement came ahead of the crucial G20 Summit set to take place in Delhi on September 9 and 10.

Modi's statement holds significance as developed and developing countries have remained divided over climate change goals during previous global meets. The differences were prominent in the July meetings of the G20 group. Officials said the positions are not likely to change at the summit.

Speaking with Moneycontrol, Modi said there's a need for planet-conscious individuals. "Just like health-conscious people make every decision in their lives based on how the decision will impact their health in the long term, there is a need for planet-conscious individuals," he said.

The PM said one must "move from mindless and destructive consumption to mindful and deliberate utilisation" in a bid to deal with the climate crisis. "Each lifestyle decision, if made with the planet’s welfare in mind, will benefit our future generations," he said.

India's role in combatting climate change

The PM said India’s growth is clean and green growth. "India’s growth is being achieved with a human-centric approach that can be replicated in other countries too," he said.

India’s growth helps further the interests of the Global South, he said and added, "India’s growth helps bring a sense of reliability and resilience to the global supply chain. India’s growth is for the global good."

The PM went on to highlight the role of India and its constructive approach towards combating climate change. He said: "In the Paris meeting, India had said that we would ensure that 40 percent of our energy would come from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. We achieved this in 2021 itself, 9 years ahead of our promise." He said that this was made possible not by reducing our energy consumption, but by increasing our renewables.

The prime minister went on to say that the Indian government has been working on providing incentives for the electric vehicle industry. "The behaviour transformation to avoid the use of single-use plastic became a people’s movement. Safe sanitation and cleanliness are now the social norm," he said.

Modi also mentioned the government's move to popularise natural farming, while saying that growing and consuming millet are "now an important topic in our national discourse". "So, there is a lot that is happening in India that has made a massive impact," he said.

First Published:Sept 6, 2023 10:08 AM IST