Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a two-day international conference titled 'The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics' on 19 September 2026 in New Delhi, bringing together judicial representatives and environmental experts from 17 countries to address pressing climate and governance challenges. The event is being organised by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and marks one of the largest judicial-environmental gatherings hosted in India in recent years.

Who Will Attend

The conference will draw eminent judges and judicial representatives from 17 nations, alongside Judges of the Supreme Court of India and High Courts, District Court Judges, and Secretaries of various Ministries. Senior government officials, representatives of State Judicial Academies, State Legal Services Authorities, State Expert Appraisal Committees (SEACs), State Environment Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAAs), and State Wetland Authorities are also expected to participate.

Key Agenda: Governance Gaps and Judicial Cooperation

The two-day platform is designed to facilitate structured dialogue on critical environmental and climate challenges, with a particular focus on gaps in policy formulation, implementation, and enforcement. Delegates will explore frameworks to strengthen environmental governance and deepen institutional cooperation across jurisdictions. The conference will serve as an exchange forum for judicial approaches and environmental governance practices drawn from participating nations.

NGT Chief Calls Clean Air a Fundamental Need

Ahead of the conference, National Green Tribunal Chairperson Justice (Retired) Prakash Shrivastava underscored the urgency of clean air governance at an event marking Swachh Vayu Diwas 2026, organised by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on the occasion of the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies. He described clean air as 'a fundamental need rather than a luxury' and noted that air pollution 'doesn't know political boundaries.'

Justice Shrivastava stressed that development and environmental conservation are not mutually exclusive. 'Development and environmental conservation are not at cross purposes but can go together while maintaining the quality of life for citizens,' he said. He also called on local bodies to prevent pollution at the source, adopt the latest technologies, and pursue an inclusive 'Whole of Society' approach.

Government's Multi-Pronged Air Pollution Strategy

Environment Secretary Tanmay Kumar said the government is adopting a multi-pronged, coordinated, and scientific approach to tackling air pollution in line with Prime Minister Modi's vision. At the same event, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change awarded best-performing cities and wards under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), recognised as part of the 5th Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan.

The conference on 19–20 September 2026 is expected to produce recommendations on strengthening cross-border environmental governance frameworks, with outcomes likely to inform India's domestic policy and international climate diplomacy in the months ahead.