Desk Correspondent , New Delhi - Chief Justice of India's Supreme Court Surya Kant pitched for energy justice on as a moral foundation for India's  development journey on Saturday. The bench addressed the International Conference on Sustainable Energy, he highlighted that the national growth must harmonise economic progress with ecological responsibility. He warned against treating development and environmental protection as opposing choices, urging a balance approach suited to India's ongoing development phase.

The CJI highlighted that energy justice suggests affordability, accessibility, equity, and inclusiveness, ensuring clean energy does not remain a privilege for few. He noted that both development and environmental safeguards are rooted in Africa 21 of the Constitution, calling for judicial oversight that integrates sustainability into project design rather than treating it as an afterthought. He advocated shifting from reactive pollution penalties to proactive and continuing mandamus for for long-term compliance.

Justice Surya Kant added that courts must pursue calibrated solutions to reconcile competing interests through accountability and ecological stewardship. "The way I see it, must synchronise economic growth with ecological sensibility. This is because, as a nation, we are still very much on our development journey, and therefore we cannot afford to treat environmental protection and economic progress as a binary choice." He further says "It is the moral architecture that allows a rising nation such as ours to grow without compromising what belongs to every citizen: clean air, clean water, and a livable future."