From the Prime Minister’s Office, this is the text of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address (the original in Hindi) on 23 September 2019, at the Climate Action Summit 2019 during the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, USA:
I thank UN Secretary General for organising the Global climate summit.
After having received the Champion of the Earth award last year, this is my first opportunity to address the United Nations. I am pleased that my first meeting during my visit to New York is on the subject of Climate.
Excellencies, various efforts are being made by different countries to fight climate change. We must accept that if we have to overcome a serious challenge like climate change, then what we are doing at the moment is just not enough.
What is needed today, is a comprehensive approach which covers everything from education to values, and from lifestyle to developmental philosophy. What we need is a global people’s movement to bring about behavioral change.
The respect for nature, the judicious use of resources, reducing our needs and living within our means have all been important aspects of both our traditions and present day efforts. Need not Greed has been our guiding principle.
And therefore India today has come not just to talk about the seriousness of this issue, but to present a practical approach and a roadmap. We believe that an ounce of practice is worth more than a ton of preaching.
In India, we are going to increase the share of non fossil fuel, and by 2022 we plan to increase our renewable energy capacity to much beyond 175 GW, and later till 450 GW. In India we have made plans to make our transport sector green through e mobility. India is also working to considerably increase the proportion of the biofuel blend in petrol and diesel.
We have provided clean cooking gas to 150 million families. We have launched the Jal Jeevan mission for water conservation, rainwater harvesting and for the development of water resources. India is going to spend approximately 50 billion dollars on this in the next few years.
On the International forum, almost 80 countries have joined our International Solar Alliance campaign. India and Sweden together with other partners are launching the Leadership group within the Industry transition track. This initiative will provide a platform for governments and the private sector with opportunities for cooperation in the area of Technology innovation. This will help to develop low carbon pathways for industry.
In order to make our infrastructure disaster resilient, India is launching a Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. I invite Member states to join this coalition.
This year on the occasion of India’s Independence day on 15th August, we called for a peoples movement to end the use of single use plastic. I hope that this will create an awareness at a global level about the harmful effects of single use plastic.
Excellencies, I am happy to announce that tomorrow we are going to inaugurate solar panels on the roof of the UN building, funded by India at a cost of 1 million dollars.
The time for talking is over; the world needs to act now. Thank you. Thank you very much.
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