Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Harsh Vardhan on Monday asked citizens to act upon laws enacted on pollution and environment-related matters.

Vardhan recalled India’s legacy for caring for the environment during the inaugural session of the World Environment Day celebrations organised in Delhi, according to an official statement released Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Reiterating the momentum generated by the Green Good Deeds initiative, Vardhan said it was worth emulating across the world. “It has been appreciated at global fora including BRICS and international universities,” he said, adding that “Green Good Deeds”, practice and behaviour are the ‘mantra’ for the future.

Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme Erik Solheim said that environment was a people-centric problem in India. Talking about the reasons why India was chosen to host the World Environment Day celebrations, Solheim said it was because of the “shared approach” that the country follows to deal with its environment problems.

Union Environment Secretary CK Mishra said 96 ministries had participated in the celebrations due to the “growing concerns” about environment.