The Editorial Analysis- A New Lease of LIFE for Climate Action

Table of Contents

LIFE for Climate Action: Why is it Important for UPSC Exam

LIFE for Climate Action: LIFE or Lifestyle for Environment is a fresh perspective to countering climate change, announced by Indian Prime Minister Mr. Modi. Editorial Analysis of A New Lease of LIFE for Climate Action is important for UPSC Mains Exam (UPSC GS Paper 3- Environment and Conservation).

LIFE for Climate Action: Why in news?

Vision of LIFE is taking flight as a global mission launched by Mr. Modi together with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who has come to India to show his support.
The Prime Minister and Secretary-General are calling on all consumers across the world to become “Pro Planet People” by 2027, adopting simple lifestyle changes that can collectively lead to transformational change.

Agni Tattva under LiFE Campaign

LIFE for Climate Action: What are the crises world is facing today?

United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Report has warned that global human development measures have declined across most countries in the past two years.
Multiple Challenges: Our world today is in turmoil, facing multiple, mutually reinforcing crises.
- Even as we mount a fragile recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, war fuels a devastating energy, food, and cost-of-living crisis.
Triple Planetary Crisis: World today is facing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.
Increased Extreme Weather Events: Nine of the warmest years on record have come in the past decade alone.
- This year’s record-breaking heat waves, floods, droughts, and other extreme forms of weather have forced us to face these increasingly devastating impacts.
Climate change is a disruption multiplier in a disrupted world, rolling back progress across the global Sustainable Development Goals.
Unsustainable Production Method: While governments and industry carry the lion’s share of responsibility for responding to the crisis, we as consumers play a large role in driving unsustainable production methods.

Familial Forestry | Land for Life Award of UNCCD

LIFE for Climate Action- Providing a Fresh Perspective

About: LIFE, or Lifestyle for Environment, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at COP26 in November 2021, brings a fresh and much-needed perspective.
Uniqueness: Rather than framing climate change as a ‘larger than life’ challenge, LIFE recognises that small individual actions can tip the balance in the planet’s favour.
Key Individual Actions: Mindful choices cultivated by LIFE animate this spirit — actions such as-
- Saving energy at home;
- Cycling and using public transport instead of driving;
- Eating more plant-based foods and wasting less; and
- Leveraging our position as customers and employees to demand climate-friendly choices.
Use of Nudge theory: Many of the goals of LIFE can be achieved by deploying ‘nudges’, gentle persuasion techniques to encourage positive behaviour.
The LIFE mission also recognises that accountability is relative to contribution.
- Emissions across the poorest half of the world’s population combined still fall short of even 1% of the wealthiest.
- Each ‘Pro Planet’ stakeholder is nudged according to differentiated approaches.

BASIC countries at Glasgow Summit (CoP 26) of UNFCCC

UN Environment Program (UNEP): Countering Climate Change

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) employs proven nudging techniques such as-
- Discouraging food waste by offering smaller plates in cafeterias;
- Encouraging recycling by making bin lids eye-catching; and
- Encouraging cycling by creating cycle paths.
According to the UNEP, more than two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to household consumption and lifestyles.
- These are the urgent cuts to global emissions we need can only be achieved through widespread adoption of greener consumption habits.

What is India’s Track Record for Promoting LIFE movement?

LIFE resonates with the global climate justice India has rightfully called for- highlighting enhanced obligations those in developed countries bear, to support climate adaptation and mitigation for those most affected, yet least responsible.
The average carbon footprint of a person in a high income country is more than 80 times higher than that of a person in a least developed country.
- It is common sense and only fair to call on the developed world to shoulder a proportionate share of this transition.
- In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “the world has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed.”
India has a proven track record translating the aspirations of national missions into whole-of-society efforts.
- The success of the Swachh Bharat Mission, which mobilised individuals and communities across socio-economic strata to become drivers of collective good health and sanitation is an example.

LIFE for Climate Action- India’s Leadership at Global Stage

Factors Strengthening India’s Leadership at Global Stage:

The Panchamrit targets announced by Mr. Modi at COP26,
Support for the International Solar Alliance,
The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and South-South cooperation platforms,
The world’s fifth largest economy with vibrant businesses making enormous investments in renewables and electric mobility,
World class public digital tech stack, India brings scale, expertise and legitimacy;
A well-positioned founding UN Member State bridging the G20 and G77.

Conclusion

With COP27 next month, and India set to assume the G20 Presidency weeks after, followed by the halfway mark to Agenda 2030 next year, India is all set to give a new lease of LIFE to climate action.

LiFE Movement- Lifestyle for the Environment Launched