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Add to Preferred SourcesUnited Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on October 3 conferred the Organization’s highest environmental honor on India’s Prime Minister, recognizing Narendra Modi’s efforts against climate change and pollution.
“Prime Minister Modi represents an extraordinary legacy. He not only recognizes, knows and understands the benefits of taking action to stop global warming, but also acts with enormous energy to make this change. And this leadership is today more necessary than ever ” said Mr. Guterres at the “Champions of the Earth” award ceremony, in the Indian capital New Delhi.
According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Prime Minister Modi has been recognized for his extensive efforts to control plastic pollution, including a pledge to eliminate all single-use plastic in India, by 2022. He has also been recognized for his joint initiative with French President Emmanuel Macron to champion the International Solar Alliance – a global partnership to scale up solar energy use and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
In his prize-giving speech, Mt. Guterres called on other world leaders to draw lessons from India and apply them in their own circumstances to “win the race against climate change.”
He also highlighted that climate action and development are not contradictory but are mutually supportive.
“The green economy is the good economy. Technology is on our side. Those that will bet on the grey economy will have a grey future, and those that, like in India, are betting on the green economy will have a dominant role in the global economy in the decades to come,” said the Secretary-General.
Prime Minister Modi, in accepting the award, said that he was doing so on behalf of millions of Indians “who protect the environment each day.”
“From fisherfolk who only take what they need or tribal communities who think of forests as their family. We will never be able to tackle climate change without bringing climate into our culture. And this is why India is taking so much action for our climate,” said the Indian leader.
Original source: UN News
Published on 3 October 2018