Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday took charge of the Union environment, forest and climate change ministry a day after he was allocated the portfolio for the second time, saying the focus will remain on initiatives such as Mission Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE)
“Globally there is an environmental crisis. PM [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi announced Mission Lifestyle for Environment at the Glasgow Climate Conference in 2021. This is being considered a sustainable development initiative. It upholds mindful consumption rather than mindless consumption,” he said.
LiFE seeks to mobilise individuals for climate-positive behaviour and to create an ecosystem to reinforce and enable environmentally friendly self-sustainable behaviours. In February 2023, the International Energy Agency (IEA) cited its modelling and said it shows adoption of changes proposed under LiFE can reduce annual global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by over 2 billion tonnes by 2030. It said the projected cut is about one-fifth of the emission reduction needed by 2030 to put the world on a pathway to net zero emissions.
IEA, a Paris-based intergovernmental global energy organisation, said the measures proposed under LiFE could also save consumers around $440 billion globally in 2030, or equal to around 5% of all spending on fuels across the global economy that year.
Yadav said the government believes conservation and development can be balanced. “PM Modi has also started a plantation initiative ‘Ek ped ma ke naam’ to counter escalating global warming. We are calling on people to take it up. But these saplings should survive. We believe development and environmental conservation can go hand in hand. We want a green economy for the country,” said Yadav.
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