India reserves the right to grow, says Yadav at NGT meet
India's environment minister asserts the nation's right to grow responsibly while addressing climate concerns, emphasizing energy, food, and job creation.
India reserves the right to grow responsibly based on the country’s “national circumstances”, Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav said on Saturday, emphasizing that the global anxieties about the climate crisis cannot force the country into giving up the right to “ensure resources for our people”.
Yadav, who was speaking at the two-day National Conference on Environment-2025 organised by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), also highlighted India’s commitment to climate action.
“India has fulfilled its Paris Agreement commitments on green energy nine years ahead of the 2030 target,” Yadav said.
“India reserves its right to grow responsibly based on our national circumstances... the climate anxiety which has gripped the world cannot force India to give up its right to ensure food, water, energy, and a quality to its 1.4 billion people,” he said.
The minister said that the country has struck a balance “between challenges and opportunities”.
Yadav recalled that when large parts of the developing world and nearly one-third of India was reeling from a food crisis in the 1970s, the developed world did not eat less to redistribute food to the hungry.
“Many of us present here were way too young in the 1970s. Some of us were not even born. But a lesson from the 1970s is an important mention. It was a time one-third of India and almost 35% of the developing world was in the grip of hunger. The developed world did not eat less to redistribute food to those hungry,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“Many of us present here were way too young in the 1970s. Some of us were not even born. But a lesson from the 1970s is an important mention. It was a time one-third of India and almost 35% of the developing world was in the grip of hunger. The developed world did not eat less to redistribute food to those hungry,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Hailing the impact the Green Revolution had on the nation, he said, “Our scientific community rose to the challenge and increased yields through better varieties of seeds, more fertilisers and better technology.”
{{/usCountry}}Hailing the impact the Green Revolution had on the nation, he said, “Our scientific community rose to the challenge and increased yields through better varieties of seeds, more fertilisers and better technology.”
{{/usCountry}}“India is focused on capacity-building, knowledge-sharing and collaborating with the world to meet the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and desertification,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“India is focused on capacity-building, knowledge-sharing and collaborating with the world to meet the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and desertification,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“We are ramping up innovations in low-carbon technologies. We believe rapid economic growth is the best defence against climate change for developing nations,” he added.
The Nuclear Energy Mission for Viksit Bharat, introduced in Budget 2025-26, is poised to accelerate nuclear power development, positioning India as a global leader in advanced nuclear technology by 2047, he said, also highlighting that the country’s Ramsar site network stands at 89.
“As one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing economies, India is not only focusing on reducing its carbon footprint but also on creating millions of jobs through the green energy sector. Solar power has emerged as a key player in driving this transformation, contributing to both environmental sustainability and economic growth,” Yadav said.
The conference was inaugurated by President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday.
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Attorney general of India R Venkataramani, who also addressed the conference, said a national commission on environment could help address regulation and adjudication. He also said India’s focus should be on effective enforcement instead of being bogged down by poor results in various global environmental surveys.
“We are entering a new machine age. Its an era of great good and enormous waste. Global inequalities and economic control in the hands of economic superiors pose challenges. Alarming pictures are painted of where India stands in matters of air and water pollution... all this is bound to happen when we are still divided as nations with narrow domestic walls,” said Venkataramani.
“But we cannot compromise on our obligations to deal with inequality, poverty and injustices and social justice. India can do this and all of us common responsibilities. I do not think we should delve in data...on how India stands down below in some world survey index. I do not think we should go around with gloomy eyes. We should redesign our institutions instead,” he added.
“We have enacted a corpus of environmental laws and set up regulatory, monitoring and standard setting bodies such as pollution control boards, the question of satisfactory enforcement remains open,” he said adding that “We need a national commission on environment which will help in policy making and aid in adjudication.” he said.
Justice Vikram Nath, judge, Supreme Court said “ Our natural surroundings are facing tremendous pressure. There is thick smog in cities, rivers are choking in effluents, water scarcity. Among most visible problems is air pollution. It is not acceptable for our children to grow up in an environment where they need masks to play outside.”
