Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, has launched a mobile application called ‘Meri LiFE’ (My Life) to inspire youth action for climate change in the lead-up to World Environment Day on June 5.
During the launch, Yadav highlighted that the app would demonstrate the power of citizens, particularly young people, in saving the environment. He expressed his belief that simple actions taken in our daily lives can have a significant climate impact. The Minister hopes that the app, together with the dedicated portal, will drive a national movement for LiFE.
Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) was introduced by the Prime Minister on October 20, 2022, in Kevadia, Gujarat. The mission aims to bring about behavior changes in individuals through simple and easy-to-implement actions. The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change is responsible for coordinating and implementing Mission LiFE at the national level.
In line with this, the Ministry has engaged Central Ministries, State Governments, Institutions, and private organizations to align their activities with LiFE and raise awareness about sustainable actions that individuals can undertake. As part of the nationwide advocacy and awareness drive, a month-long mass mobilization campaign is currently underway and will culminate on June 5, 2023, with a grand celebration of World Environment Day.
To monitor the progress of LiFE, the Ministry has developed two dedicated portals. The Mission LiFE Portal (missionlife-moefcc.nic.in) allows open access to download over 100 creatives, videos, and knowledge materials created by the ministry for LiFE. The Meri LiFE Portal (merilife.org) enables ministries and institutions to upload event reports and track the progress of the mass mobilization drive.
In just 10 days, India has witnessed over 100,000 LiFE-related events, mobilizing more than 1.7 million individuals to take pro-planet actions. These events encompass activities such as cleanliness drives, bicycle rallies, plantation drives, LiFE marathons, plastic collection drives, composting workshops, and the taking of LiFE pledges. Schools and colleges are also organizing cultural competitions like street plays, essays, paintings, and youth parliaments to actively involve students in environmental initiatives.
The launch of the Meri LiFE App took place in the presence of Ms. Leena Nandan, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change; C.P. Goyal, Director General of Forest and Special Secretary; and Dhuwarakha Sriram, Chief of GenU, Youth Development, and Partnerships at UNICEF India.
The Meri LiFE app will provide a structured approach to monitor the progress of Mission LiFE. Upon signing up, users will be guided to participate in a series of LiFE-related tasks under five themes: Save Energy, Save Water, Reduce Single-Use Plastic, Adopt Sustainable Food Systems, and Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle. Through a gamified experience, the app encourages people to take the "5 for 5" challenge, involving completing five LiFE Actions by June 5th. The app is available for download on the Google Play Store.
The mass mobilization campaign will conclude on World Environment Day 2023, with a focus on Solutions to Plastic Pollution. This theme aligns with one of the seven themes of Mission LiFE, which centers on reducing the use of single-use plastic items.
