Energy requirements of the people of India are expected to double in the next 20 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday as he urged developed countries to fulfil their commitments on finance and technology transfer.

Delivering the inaugural address at the 21st World Sustainable Development Summit 2022 (WSDS-22), Modi said environmental sustainability can only be achieved through climate justice.

"Environmental sustainability can only be achieved through climate justice. Energy requirements of the people of India are expected to double in the next 20 years."

"Denying this energy would be denying life itself to millions. Successful climate action also needs adequate financing. For this, developed countries need to fulfil their commitments on finance and technology transfer," the prime minister said.

He said India believes in fulfilling commitments under the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

"We firmly believe in fulfilling all our commitments made under the UNFCCC. We have also raised our ambitions during CoP-26 at Glasgow," Modi said.

Calling India a mega-diverse country which accounts for eight per cent of the world's species, the PM said, "It is our duty to protect this ecology."

"With 2.4 per cent of the world's land area, India accounts for nearly 8 per cent of the world's species. It is our duty to protect this ecology. We are strengthening our protected area network," he said.

The WSDS 2022 is a three-day summit being organised by TERI with participation from over 100 countries. It will conclude on February 18.