The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh has issued the following message on the occasion of the World Environment Day:

"On the occasion of World Environment Day, I urge every one of our citizens to recall the wise words of the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, that our planet has enough to meet everyone's need but not everyone's greed. It is incumbent upon all of us to think of future generations and the very future of our planet each time we undertake an act of consumption. The threat of climate change is real and unless we alter our lifestyles and pursue a sustainable model of development, our future will be at peril.

India is committed to pursuing environmentally sustainable development strategies. While we have a long way to go in meeting the aspirations of our people and while we must rid our county of the scourge of poverty, ignorance and disease, we should do so in a manner that is environmentally sustainable. The challenge before us is, therefore, to protect our environment and ensure the well-being of future generations, even as we seek to accelerate the pace of economic growth, pursue industrialization and the modernization of agriculture and improve the quality of life of all our people.

I urge young people to come forward with creative and innovative ideas on how we can meet this challenge."