New Delhi,(thestates.news) : Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched the UNSG Mission ‘LIFE’ (Lifestyle for the Environment) booklet, logo and tagline in Gujarat (Ekta Nagar, Kevadia) on Thursday.
Addressing the program organised on this occasion, the PM said that the problem of climate change is becoming more and more serious. People are also now realizing that this problem cannot be left to policy changes made only at the level of government and international institutions. People are beginning to consider the responsibility for themselves, their families and their communities. The concept of Mission ‘Life’ is based on all these subjects.
“Today our glaciers are melting, our rivers are drying up, the weather is becoming uncertain and these changes are forcing people to think that climate change cannot be left to policy-making alone,” the Prime Minister said.
Explaining ‘Mission Life’, the Prime Minister said that it democratises the fight against climate change so that everyone can contribute according to their capacity. It teaches us to make better use of people’s power by connecting them for the protection of this earth. He expressed happiness that today so many countries have joined this mission.
He said that Mission Life inspires us to do something in our everyday life that will protect the environment. In this sequence, he mentioned the environmentally bad habit of the people. He said that some people sleep in blankets at night by setting the temperature of their ACs at 17 degrees. He urged the people to change this habit. We can use the cycle while going to the gym.
He said that Mission Live believes that the environment can be protected by making changes in our lifestyle. He said, I am presenting the vision of this mission to the world today along with wishing individual efforts to every person living on earth.
Highlighting India’s role in combating climate change, the PM said that India’s annual per capita carbon footprint in the world is only about 1.5 tonnes as against the world average of 4 tonnes per year. Nevertheless, India is working ahead to solve global problems like climate change. He said, “Our government started a scheme of LED bulbs. International experts present here will be surprised to know that the people of India used 160 crore LED bulbs. This reduced the emission of 100 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
He said, “Today India is becoming a perfect example of progress as well as nature. Today, India is also becoming the fifth largest economy in the world and our forest area and the number of wildlife are also increasing.
The PM said that Mahatma Gandhi explained the importance of conserving the environment and living life in harmony with nature. He developed the concept of trusteeship. Mission Life works on the concept of P3 – ‘Pro, Planet, People. This is the idea of absorbing all in itself. It follows the basic principle of ‘Lifestyle of the Planet’, ‘For the Planet’ and ‘By the Planet’ in lifestyle. The Prime Minister also made a special mention of Gujarat’s leadership in renewable energy. Use less, reuse and recycle for environmental protection and referring to the adoption of circular economy, he said that it has always been a part of the lifestyle of the people of India.
Speaking on the occasion, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that as a large economy and a climate change-conscious nation, India can play an important role in building trust between developing and developed countries. He said that G20 countries account for 80 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. As a resource, the G20 has the power to help the world adopt a sustainable lifestyle. In a few weeks, world leaders will meet in Egypt for Cop 27, which will provide a significant political opportunity to renew trust in all pillars of the Paris climate accord and accelerate actions. Many other world leaders gave their message in the program related to the beginning of Michal’s Life. British Prime Minister Liz Truss said that as democracies, we must work together to secure energy independence and protect economies. We are investing with partners like India to develop critical climate infrastructure. She appreciates India’s leadership in launching Mission Life. Let us keep moving forward.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that at a time when the world is facing geopolitical tensions, we have to choose the path of cooperation. Any global challenge, especially climate change, can be solved alone. France looks forward to working with India to make this initiative a success, including from the perspective of the Indian presidency of the G20 next year. President of Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Saleh, President of Madagascar Andrey Rajoelina, Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili, and Prime Minister of Estonia Kaza Kalas also delivered their messages.(HS)
