India’s LiFE Initiative and Pro-Planet People
[GS Paper 2 – Govt. Policies and Interventions, Environmental Pollution and Degradation]
Context – The LiFE Initiative started by India has become a mass movement towards an environmentally conscious lifestyle. The COVID-19 pandemic has proved that we still continue to remain at the mercy of nature despite mankind’s scientific and technological advancements.
In the present world, the challenges posed by the unrecognized and unmitigated climate changes are more dangerous whose sole blame should be given to the current throwaway society which is eagerly driven by wasteful consumerism.
About LiFE Initiative
The concept of the LiFE Initiative was introduced by India during the COP-26 of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) held in Glasgow in 2021. The concept refers to an environmentally conscious lifestyle that focuses on ‘mindful and deliberate utilization’ rather than ‘mindless and wasteful consumption’.
India’s Achievements in Environment Conservation
- Installed Electric Capacity: India has committed to reach 40% of its installed electric capacity from non-fossil fuel based sources which has been achieved 9 years ahead of the schedule.
- Ethanol Blending: India’s commitment target of 10% ethanol blending in petrol was achieved 5 months in advance of the stipulated date of November 2022. The blending has been raised from 1.5% in 2013-14 to 5% in 2019-20.
- Renewable Energy Target: India is ranked 3rd in terms of Wind Power in the REN21’s Renewables 2022 Global Status Report (GSR-2022). The country is ranked fourth in terms of solar power and third in renewable power installed capacity in 2021.
Challenges Related to Environment Conservation in India
- In India, there exists a nexus between poverty and environmental degradation. A major chunk of the Indian population are directly dependent on the natural resources of their immediate surroundings for their basic needs. In fact the challenge of poverty and the challenge of environmental degradation are two facets of the same coin.
- With the increasing demand for water in the country, there were plans put up to harness the major rivers through irrigation projects and canals. These projects have resulted in the submergence of forests, displacement of local people and damage of the flora and fauna.
- Unregulated mining has remained a major challenge for environment conservation for a long time. The massive requirement of construction materials has led to the disappearance of major hills owing to quarrying and other mining activities.
- Solid-Waste Management has also remained very low in India. When almost 277 million tonnes of solid waste is being produced every year, a mere 5% of the total waste is recycled while the remaining is dumped at the landfill sites.
Government Initiatives to tackle Environment Degradation
- Give it Up Campaign
- Swachh Bharat Mission
- GOBARdhan Scheme
- Catch the Rain Campaign
Way Forward
In India, there is a need to consider the social, environmental and economic impacts of consumption, buying more greener products and consuming better i.e. having a more sustainable consumption.
India needs to rethink and restore confidence in public transport to include more CNG-driven buses, adoption of e-buses, bus corridors and bus rapid transit systems with the digitization of public transport.
India has a very ancient and rich heritage of traditional wisdom and climate friendly practices which makes it an optimum place to assume a leadership role in driving a behavioral change on climate action.
School Curriculums in India give more stress on environment conservation studies and practices where the ULBs and the Panchayats can act as an ambassador for the same.We need to keep environmental impact assessment at all stages of the product development process, striving for products which make the lowest possible environmental impact throughout the product life cycle.
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