Murmu said that people need to adopt a conscious and sensitive lifestyle so that the environment is not only protected but also enhanced and can be more vibrant. She said that while families worry about what schools or colleges children will study in, or what career they will choose, they should also think about a clean environment for them.

“We all also have to think about what kind of air our children will breathe, what kind of water they will get to drink, whether they will be able to hear the sweet sounds of birds or not, whether they will be able to experience the beauty of lush green forests or not… It is our moral responsibility to provide a legacy of a clean environment to the coming generations,” she said.

“Balancing clean environment and modern development is both an opportunity and a challenge,” Murmu added.

Murmu said NGT has played a decisive role in the field of environmental justice or climate justice. Its “historic decisions”, she said, have a wide impact on our lives, our health, and the future of our earth. The president stressed that the basis of the Indian heritage of development is nourishment, and not exploitation; protection and not elimination.

She noted that over the last decade, India has achieved several examples of early completion of its Nationally Determined Contributions as per international agreements.

Justice Vikram Nath, Supreme Court judge, said air pollution and polluted water bodies are among the most visible problems today. “The capital city of India regularly experiences high levels of pollution. I believe we can all agree that it is not acceptable for our children to grow up in an environment where they need masks to play outside or worry about respiratory ailments at a young age. This is an urgent call for action,” he said.

Justice Nath lauded the NGT for emerging as a beacon of hope and for playing a pivotal role in streamlining the resolution of environmental disputes.

Attorney General of India R Venkataramani said during his address that there should be a national commission on environment “which will be the link between policy making units, regulation and enforcement and an aid to courts in adjudication… Less adjudication and more flexibility in enforcement should also be a mantra.”

He added, “The NGT Act and its functioning ushered a most needed change and discipline in enforcement. However, the effective connection needed between government as a policy making body, regulatory bodies and adjudicating bodies has not happened.

He also said that there was the question of satisfactory enforcement of environmental laws. “Even if we have enacted a corpus of environmental laws and established monitoring and standard setting bodies, such as basic pollution control boards, the question of satisfactory enforcement remains open.”

NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said the conference aims to develop actionable solutions for a sustainable future and has brought together jurists, experts, and students.