World leaders laud Modi as he launches Mission LiFE to fight climate crisis: 'Dear Narendra...'

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (20) received congratulatory messages from several countries such as the UK, France, Argentina, Georgia, Mauritius, Madagascar, Estonia, among others, on the occasion of launching the Mission LiFE movement (Lifestyle for the Environment) at Kevadia in the western state of Gujarat.

United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres, India's external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel were also present.

Mission LiFE is expected to become an India-led global mass movement to ensure both individual and collective action to protect and preserve the environment, the prime minister's office said.

It will also be one of New Delhi's top initiatives at the United Nations and other international platforms for showcasing climate action and early achievements of the sustainable development goals.

What UK PM Liz Truss said

In her message, British prime minister Liz Truss said, "In November last year, the world came together in the UK to sign the Glassgow Climate Pact. It was a landmark deal...As democracies, we must work together to secure energy independence and protect our economies. We are investing with partners like India to help build vital climate infrastructure. Let's keep making those long-term choices, let's keep leading the way."

Addressing Modi as "dear Narendra", French president Emmanuel Macron said he wished he could be in Kevadia for the "very special moment".

"Dear Prime Minister, dear Narendra, dear colleagues, dear friends, namaste. I wish I could be you in Kevadia at this very special moment. At a time when our world is subject to geopolitical tensions, we have no choice but to choose cooperation over division...France looks forward to working with India to make this initiative a success including in the perspective of the Indian presidency of G20 next year," Macron, who shares a rapport with Modi, said in his message.

Alberto Fernandez, the president of Argentina, said, "I am here in Buenos Aires but I did not want to be absent from this event of PM Modi. The world is experiencing unusual times which are marked not only by a pandemic but also by profound inequality. The world is also suffering from a crisis because of the use and wastage of non-renewable resources which undoubtedly have detrimental effects upon the environment.

"It is also true that this concentration and the ongoing war has led to a problem of food security around the world that should draw the attention of the world. That's why I think the initiative, LiFE, can be very helpful for us to find a way because one of the ways is to ensure that governments and civil society achieve the necessary consensus so that we can slowly come out of the crisis."

Pravind Jugnauth, the prime minister of Mauritius, said, "Policy reforms and economic initiatives are not enough to save our planet. Lifestyle changes at the individual level and behavioural changes at the community level are needed to reduce the strain on the environment. I, therefore, strongly support the movement launch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji to build on good practices on the level of individuals, communities and institutions in an order to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable future."

The leaders of India's two South Asian neighbours -- Nepal and the Maldives -- also lauded Modi.

While Nepali prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba called the movement a pioneering one that can help fight climate change and thanked his Indian counterpart for giving Nepal the opportunity to extend its support to the movement, Maldives president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said, "Prime Minister Modi's Mission LiFE could not have come at a more crucial juncture. The ill effects of climate crisis come at us with full force, growing in severity the longer we let our inactions drag on. This ambitious initiative is a call for action. Let's not end it there."