India highlights forest expansion on World Environment Day

On World Environment Day, June 5, 2026, Indian officials highlighted national and state-level environmental initiatives, emphasizing a dual focus on ecological conservation and sustainable development. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a social media post, commended citizens for their collective efforts and outlined what he described as key successes over the past decade, including an expansion of forest cover and a rise in the populations of several animal species. He reaffirmed a commitment to sustainable growth.

Several state chief ministers also marked the occasion with statements on their environmental policies. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s government, whose birthday coincided with the event, was cited for undertaking large-scale plantation drives. The state has reportedly planted hundreds of crores of saplings since 2017, with a current season target of over 35 crore trees under the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign promoted by the Prime Minister. Officials said the state integrates afforestation with major infrastructure projects like expressways and focuses on improving sapling survival rates through geotagging and monitoring.