Narendra Modi, India’s leader, chides developed countries: “A small section of humanity has exploited nature indiscriminately.”

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to redouble efforts to shift the world’s most populous country away from fossil fuels and accelerate the development of renewable energy.

“The whole world is watching us,” he said at the United Nations climate conference in Dubai. “Mother Earth looks to us to protect her future. We must succeed.”

India has rapidly developed wind and solar energy in recent years. At the same time, India is still building new coal-fired power stations at a rapid pace and getting the vast majority of its energy from fossil fuels. In 2021, India’s fossil fuel subsidies were nine times greater than clean energy subsidies.

Mr. Modi pointed out the urgency of action to reduce global warming, and also blamed developed countries, especially the United States and European countries, which have historically produced the most emissions.

“We don’t have much time to right the wrongs of the last century,” he said. “Over the past century, a small portion of humanity has indiscriminately exploited nature. However, all of humanity is paying the price for this, especially those living in the global south.”

Climate change is already having devastating consequences for India and its neighbor Pakistan. Heat waves have hit both countries in recent years, and floods have inundated large parts of both countries. Recent research has shown that climate change could cause India to rapidly deplete its groundwater.