Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the two-day International Conference on The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics on 19 September 2026 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) organised the meet, which brought together judges and judicial representatives from 17 countries along with the United Nations Environment Programme and the Asian Development Bank. The conference placed environmental justice and climate action at the centre of judicial dialogue and showcased India’s claim of pairing speedy growth with sustainability.
What Is the National Green Tribunal?
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) is a specialised statutory body set up on 18 October 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 for fast disposal of cases on environmental protection, forests and natural resources. The NGT is headquartered in New Delhi and aims to decide cases within six months.
The NGT is not a regular civil court. Parliament created it through a special law, which is why it is called a statutory body. It does not follow the full procedure of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908. It follows principles of natural justice instead, though it holds the powers of a civil court for summoning witnesses, seeking documents and granting relief.
The NGT hears civil cases where a substantial question of environment is involved. Such questions must arise from the seven laws listed in Schedule I of the NGT Act. The Tribunal can order relief, compensation and restitution to victims of pollution and environmental damage. It can also hear appeals against orders on forest clearances, pollution board directions and refusals of environment clearance.
| Law Covered Under NGT Jurisdiction | Purpose in Brief |
|---|---|
| Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 | Control of water pollution |
| Water Cess Act, 1977 | Levy on water use by industry |
| Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 | Regulation of forest land use |
| Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 | Control of air pollution |
| Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 | Umbrella law for environment clearance and standards |
| Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 | Compensation for hazardous substance accidents |
| Biological Diversity Act, 2002 | Benefit sharing from biological resources |
The NGT has a Chairperson, Judicial Members and Expert Members. The Chairperson is a former Supreme Court judge. Judicial Members are former High Court judges. Expert Members bring at least 15 years of professional experience in forest conservation, environment and allied sciences. Justice Prakash Shrivastava, a former Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, is the Chairperson (as of September 2026).
The Principal Bench sits at Faridkot House on Copernicus Marg in New Delhi. Four regional benches function at Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai. Litigants track daily hearings through the NGT cause list and check case progress through the NGT case status portal. The Tribunal seeks factual and action taken reports from pollution boards and expert bodies to speed up decisions.
What Is Climate Change and What Is Climate Dynamics?
Climate change means a long-term shift in temperature and rainfall patterns, mainly due to human burning of coal, oil and gas since the industrial era. Climate dynamics is the science that studies how the atmosphere, oceans, land, ice and systems interact to drive those shifts over seasons, years and centuries.
Climate change and global warming are closely linked but not identical. Global warming refers to the rise in average surface temperature due to greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. Climate change covers the wider effects of that warming. These include heavier rainfall, longer droughts, sea level rise, melting glaciers and stronger cyclones.
Climate change happens for natural and human reasons. Natural factors include volcanic eruptions and changes in solar output. Human activity is now the dominant driver. Burning fossil fuels for power, transport and industry adds greenhouse gases. Cutting forests reduces carbon storage. These actions trap more heat and disturb wind and ocean currents.
The NGT conference portal listed four core themes that reflect this science. Climate change and resilience looks at adaptation to floods, heat and water stress. Circular economy promotes reducing, reusing and recycling waste. Biodiversity and ecosystem services focus on forests, wetlands and wildlife. Sustainable energy solutions cover solar, wind, hydro, nuclear and green fuels.
International Conference at Vigyan Bhawan: What Happened?
The NGT hosted the International Conference on The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics on 19 and 20 September 2026 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the meet on 19 September. President Droupadi Murmu attended as chief guest at the valedictory session on 20 September.
The NGT said the aim was to create an interdisciplinary and inter-jurisdictional platform for present and future environmental challenges. Discussions focused on gaps in policy formulation, implementation and enforcement. Delegates shared successful practices and explored stronger cooperation among courts, governments, scientists and other stakeholders.
| Conference Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Title | The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics |
| Organiser | National Green Tribunal |
| Venue | Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi |
| Dates | 19 to 20 September 2026 |
| Inauguration by | Prime Minister Narendra Modi |
| Valedictory chief guest | President Droupadi Murmu |
| Global participation | Judges and judicial representatives from 17 countries |
| International bodies | United Nations Environment Programme, Asian Development Bank |
| Technical sessions | Four sessions chaired by Supreme Court judges |
The inaugural session brought together Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, Attorney General R Venkataramani and NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava. Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, district judges, secretaries of ministries, state judicial academies, legal services authorities, state expert appraisal committees, state environment impact assessment authorities and state wetland authorities also took part. Early reports named Russia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Algeria, Armenia, Bangladesh and Myanmar among the participating countries.
The Prime Minister launched the NGT Mobile Application during the inaugural session. The app is meant to improve access to filing, cause lists, case status and tribunal updates. The NGT said wider access is vital because environmental harm does not respect political boundaries.
The four technical sessions covered climate justice with equity and inclusion, the future of environmental law and governance, planetary challenges and cooperation, and forest protection and restoration. The NGT described the meet as a step to strengthen environmental jurisprudence across geographical and institutional boundaries and to build a forward-looking roadmap for a cleaner and greener future.
PM Modi Address: Equity, Paris Pledges and Clean Energy Growth
The Prime Minister said the responsibility for carbon emissions has often been placed unfairly on developing countries. He said India’s per capita carbon emissions remain less than half the global average, while per capita emissions in developed countries are six times India’s level. He stressed that India raises this historical fact firmly on global platforms and works with the world while setting new standards for protection.
The Prime Minister said India is the only G20 country to have met its COP-21 Paris Summit commitments ahead of schedule. India’s first Nationally Determined Contribution set three quantitative goals on emission intensity, non-fossil capacity and forest cover. The emission intensity and non-fossil capacity goals were met years early. Non-fossil capacity reached 52.57 percent of total installed capacity by February 2026.
Solar expansion formed the centre of the address. The Prime Minister said solar capacity rose from about 2 GW twelve years ago to more than 160 GW in 2026. The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana has solarised over 50 lakh homes with assistance of up to ₹80,000 per household. About 30 lakh farmers received solar pumps under the PM-KUSUM Yojana. The completed One Nation One Grid project prevented 200 million tonnes of carbon emissions.
| Clean Energy Indicator | Progress Cited at the Conference |
|---|---|
| Solar capacity | About 2 GW to more than 160 GW in 12 years |
| Non-fossil capacity share | 52.57 percent by February 2026, nearly four times earlier level |
| Wind capacity | Threefold rise in 12 years |
| Nuclear capacity | 8.78 GW now, target of 22.38 GW by 2031-32 and 100 GW by 2047 |
| Railway electrification | Near 100 percent, saving crores of litres of diesel |
The Prime Minister said wind capacity tripled and hydro capacity grew strongly. He said India is now expanding nuclear generation at speed. The SHANTI Act, which received presidential assent on 21 December 2025, allows private firms to build and operate nuclear facilities under central licence and safety clearance. The law sets a graded liability of ₹100 crore to ₹3,000 crore based on facility type and aligns India with the global compensation regime. The Union Budget 2025-26 also created a Nuclear Energy Mission with ₹20,000 crore for small modular reactors.
Green transport received detailed attention. The Prime Minister announced India’s first Hydrogen Train, also described as the world’s longest hydrogen train, as the start of a new era of clean mobility. Electric vehicle sales rose from fewer than 3,000 before 2014 to about 25 lakh last year, a rise of nearly 950 times. The metro network grew from 250 km in five cities in 2014 to more than 1,000 km in over 20 cities. Near-total railway electrification, the 3,000 km Dedicated Freight Corridor with double-stack container trains, FASTag toll savings and about 5,000 km of operational inland waterways cut fuel use. A single standard inland vessel can carry the load of dozens of trucks.
The address also covered water, farming and forests. More than 70,000 Amrit Sarovars and 1.5 crore rainwater harvesting structures were built under the Catch the Rain campaign. The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana promotes Per Drop More Crop for over 2 crore farmers. Promotion of Shree Anna millets lifted exports to 1.5 lakh tonnes and helped the global marking of 2023 as the International Year of Millets. The National Mission on Natural Farming covers 24,000 clusters on 12.5 lakh hectares, with 3,000 climate-resilient crop varieties released. Very dense forest cover rose by more than 22 percent in 12 years, supported by the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam tree plantation drive. The single-use plastic ban, circular economy push and GOBARdhan Yojana for wealth from waste complete this chain of action.
CJI on Environmental Jurisprudence and Climate Rights
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said environmental threats have no geographical limits and need regular global dialogue. He called the NGT conference a welcome platform where stakeholders, domain experts and scientists share ideas and best practices from different jurisdictions. He said India’s approach grows from both civilisational respect for nature and the Constitution’s moral promise to past, present and future generations.
The Chief Justice pointed to Article 48A, which directs the state to protect and improve the environment and safeguard forests and wildlife, and Article 51A(g), which makes it a fundamental duty of every citizen to protect forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife and show compassion for living creatures. He said these words are seeds that need judicial wisdom to sprout into living protection.
The Supreme Court, he noted, recognised the right to a healthy environment as part of the right to life under Article 21. The Court built core doctrines such as the precautionary principle, the polluter pays principle, absolute liability, public trust doctrine and sustainable development. Landmark cases from Ratlam Municipality to M C Mehta and the 2024 ruling in M K Ranjitsinh v Union of India extended this cover to the right against adverse effects of climate change under Articles 14 and 21.
The Chief Justice said Indian jurisprudence is moving from isolated injury to cumulative harm. A river does not feel pollution by administrative boundary. A forest does not divide harm by project. The atmosphere does not recognise national borders. Courts now link climate harm to equality, livelihood and health. He described the Supreme Court as a banyan tree of environmental justice and spoke of eco-centric proportionality, where development is allowed only with enforceable conditions, expert oversight, restoration, compensatory afforestation and clear accountability.
Where Is Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi?
Vigyan Bhawan is the central government’s premier convention centre on Maulana Azad Road in Lutyens Delhi, near the Central Secretariat. Built in 1956, it hosts national functions, international summits and official award ceremonies and is managed by the Directorate of Estates.
Vigyan Bhawan means science building. The architect R A Gehlote of the Central Public Works Department designed it with a mix of modern lines and revival features drawn from British, Hindu, Mughal and Buddhist styles, including chaitya arches inspired by the Ajanta Caves. The complex holds a plenary hall for more than 1,200 delegates and six smaller halls for 65 to 375 persons each, along with a VIP lounge, business centre, studio and exhibition hall. The annexe houses committee rooms, a media centre and offices including the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.
The venue has hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 1983, the Seventh Non-Aligned Movement Summit in 1983 and SAARC meetings. It hosts the annual National Film Awards. The nearest metro access is at Central Secretariat and Udyog Bhawan stations. Its central location, security cover and plenary capacity make it the default choice for high-level judicial and diplomatic meets such as the NGT conference.
The Way Forward
The NGT said the conference must lead to a practical roadmap, not only declarations. Four tasks stand out from the deliberations. Courts need faster access to credible science, so expert panels and data on air, water, forests and climate must reach benches in time. Policy gaps on enforcement need closing, so pollution boards, appraisal committees and wetland authorities must follow tribunal directions in full.
Technology can shorten delays. The new NGT mobile app, online cause lists and video linkage of regional benches to the Principal Bench show how filing and tracking can widen. Global exchange must continue. Regular contact among judges from the 17 participating countries, UNEP and ADB can spread workable models on restoration, compensation and green clearances. The test will lie in cleaner air in cities, healthier rivers, intact forests and steady growth of clean power in the months after Vigyan Bhawan.
Key Takeaways
- The International Conference on The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics was inaugurated on 19 September 2026 at Vigyan Bhawan by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and organised by the National Green Tribunal.
- Judges and judicial representatives from 17 countries joined the two-day meet along with UNEP, the Asian Development Bank and four technical sessions chaired by Supreme Court judges.
- The NGT is a statutory body set up on 18 October 2010 under the NGT Act, 2010, with its Principal Bench in New Delhi and regional benches at Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai.
- India’s per capita emissions are less than half the global average, and India is the only G20 country to have met its Paris COP-21 pledges ahead of time, with 52.57 percent non-fossil capacity by February 2026.
- Solar capacity rose from about 2 GW to more than 160 GW in 12 years, while the SHANTI Act of December 2025 opened nuclear power to private players with a 100 GW by 2047 target.
- Vigyan Bhawan, built in 1956 on Maulana Azad Road in New Delhi, hosted the event with a plenary capacity of more than 1,200 delegates.
