India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ambitious plan to eliminate all single-use plastic in the country by the year 2022.

"India is the fastest-growing economy in the world today. We are committed to realizing the standards of our people in a way that is sustainable and green," Modi said at an event to mark World Environment Day, which India is hosting this year.  "Environmental degradation hurts the poor and vulnerable the most.  It is the duty of each one of us to ensure that material prosperity does not compromise our environment.

"Let us all join together to beat plastic pollution and make this planet a better place to live," he added.

In addition to the ban on single-use plastics, Modi also announced a marine litter action campaign to monitor plastics entering the ocean from points along its 7,500-kilometer coastline, as well as a commitment to make 100 national monuments litter-free.