The Prime Minister Narendra Modi conferred the Champions of the Earth Award 2018 for Policy Leadership by UN Secretary General, Mr. Antonio Guterres at a ceremony at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra.
Executive Director, UN Environment, Mr Erik Solheim, Union Minister for External Affairs, Ms. Sushma Swaraj and Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Mahesh Sharma, were present on the occasion.
In his address, the Prime Minister said that the award is for all those unknown faces, who work in far-flung settlements, mountainous regions, tribal areas for years. He emphasized that the award is an honour for the India’s continual, new, eternal and ancient tradition and is the reflection of our commitment for sustainable energy. He also congratulated the other laureates of the award in other categories. Mr. Modi underlined that climate and calamity have a direct relationship with culture and till the concerns over climate become a part of culture, it will be difficult to escape calamities. Stating that India’s sensitivity towards environment is today being acknowledged the world over, Mr. Modi underlined that in India, nature has been considered a living entity as well as a being that co-exists. He referred to the Clean Air campaign to sensitise ground-level functionaries and general public to enforce the habit of environmental protection.
