New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate an international conference on “The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics” on September 19, kicking off discussions on critical environmental and climate challenges and judicial approaches.
The two-day conference, being organised by the National Green Tribunal in Delhi, will be joined by eminent judges and judicial representatives from 17 countries for debate on challenges like gaps in policy formulation, implementation and enforcement and to explore ways to strengthen environmental governance and institutional cooperation, said an official statement.
The conference will also be attended by environmental experts, Judges of the Supreme Court of India and High Courts, District Court Judges, Secretaries of various Ministries, senior government officials, representatives of State Judicial Academies, State Legal Services Authorities, State Expert Appraisal Committees (SEACs), State Environment Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAAs), State Wetland Authorities and other stakeholders, said the statement.
The Conference will provide a platform for the exchange of judicial approaches and environmental governance practices.
It will facilitate dialogue on critical environmental and climate challenges, including gaps in policy formulation, implementation and enforcement, and explore ways to strengthen environmental governance and institutional cooperation, the statement said.
Earlier, on the occasion of the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, the National Green Tribunal’s Chairperson, Justice (Retired) Prakash Shrivastava, described clean air as a fundamental need rather than a luxury.
He said air pollution is a complex challenge as it doesn’t know political boundaries.
Speaking at an event organised by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to mark the ‘Swachh Vayu Diwas 2026’, Justice Shrivastava said, “Development and environmental conservation are not at cross purposes but can go together while maintaining the quality of life for citizens.”
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairperson stressed that it is the responsibility of each citizen to ensure that generations to come are able to live in a clean environment, an official statement said.
Justice Shrivastava said, “Local bodies must strive for prevention of pollution generation at source by making citizens aware; adopt latest technologies to tackle the issue; and engage in an all-inclusive and ‘Whole of Society’ approach to address the issue.”
Environment Secretary, Tanmay Kumar, said that the government is adopting a multi-pronged, coordinated and scientific approach towards tackling air pollution as per Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision.
During the event, the Environment Ministry also awarded the best-performing cities and Wards under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), ranked as part of the 5th Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan.
