The Prime Minister addressed the International Conference on “The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics” organised by the National Green Tribunal. The speech highlighted India’s progress on environmental protection and climate action over the past 12 years, positioning the country as a leader in sustainable development despite being a developing economy.
Key achievements and figures
India’s solar energy capacity has grown from 2 gigawatts in 2014 to over 160 gigawatts today. Under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, more than 50 lakh homes now have rooftop solar panels, with the government providing financial assistance of up to 80,000 rupees per household. The Kusum scheme has installed solar pumps across 30 lakh farmer fields.
India’s non-fossil fuel energy capacity has quadrupled in 12 years. Wind energy capacity has tripled, while hydroelectric capacity has also increased substantially. Solar energy alone has prevented approximately 200 million tonnes of carbon emissions. The nation has completed the One Nation One Grid project and launched India’s first hydrogen train, described as the world’s longest.
Electric vehicle sales have grown 950 times, from fewer than 3,000 units annually before 2014 to approximately 25 lakh vehicles last year. Metro networks have expanded from 250 kilometres across five cities in 2014 to over 1,000 kilometres across more than 20 cities today. Railways are nearly 100 per cent electrified, and a 3,000-kilometre Dedicated Freight Corridor has been inaugurated. Water transport now operates across approximately 5,000 kilometres of waterways.
In agriculture, India has established over 70,000 Amrit Sarovars for water conservation and created approximately 1.5 crore water harvesting structures under the Catch the Rain campaign. Over 2 crore farmers now use modern irrigation facilities through the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana. Forest cover has increased by over 22 per cent in the dense forest category over 12 years. The National Mission on Natural Farming covers 12.5 lakh hectares across 24,000 clusters, and approximately 3,000 climate-resilient crop varieties have been developed.
Millets production and exports have grown to approximately 1.5 lakh tonnes annually. Single-use plastic has been restricted, and the Gobardhan scheme converts cow dung and organic waste into useful resources in villages.
What this means for you
These developments affect ordinary citizens through reduced electricity costs via renewable energy expansion, improved air quality from vehicle electrification and reduced coal dependence, better public transport options in metro cities, more sustainable agriculture practices benefiting farmers, and water security through enhanced conservation infrastructure. The initiatives also create employment opportunities in renewable energy, electric vehicle manufacturing, and allied sectors.