India, Oct. 2 -- In 1908, while reflecting on modern civilisation in Hind Swaraj, Gandhi questioned the belief that human progress required the continuous expansion of wants. His better-known formulation, that the Earth has enough for everyone's needs but not for everyone's greed, made the same point more simply. It asked societies to distinguish between the resources required for a dignified life and the consumption driven by status, convenience and accumulation. That distinction matters today, as India's climate policy places growing emphasis on solar power, electric vehicles, green hydrogen and other technological solutions. The clean-energy transition is essential, but technology alone cannot carry the burden of climate action.

In th...