India has decided to take forward 'LiFE Movement-Lifestyle for the Environment as a theme of the country's pavilion at the 27th session of the UN climate change conference (COP27) in Egypt in November.
The move will highlight the unsustainable lifestyle of rich countries, whose "mindless" consumption of resources is one of the major contributors to the high historical cumulative emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) that caused climate change.
The idea of pushing LiFE as the event's theme is consistent with what PM Narendra Modi offered to the world at COP26 in Glasgow, UK, last year and launched a global campaign, the LiFE Movement, on the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5, 2022.
The environment ministry guidelines said the need of the hour is to solve the challenge faced by the planet with the use of human-centric, collective efforts & robust actions that further accelerate sustainable development. And this can be achieved, if the global community can come together & take Lifestyle For Environment forward as a campaign.
Delivering a national statement at COP26 on November 1, 2021, Modi highlighted the rising understanding among world leaders that lifestyle plays a significant part in climate change. He also suggested a "One-Word Movement."
"In terms of climate, this One-Word might serve as the basic foundation of One World. This word is LiFE, which stands for Lifestyle For Environment (L, I, F, E). We must all work together to advance the campaign Lifestyle For Environment (LiFE) in the present," the Prime Minister said.
In his pitch for making a mass movement "environmental conscious lifestyle," he said that "mindful and thoughtful utilization is needed today, rather than mindless and harmful consumption.
These movements together can establish objectives that have the potential to completely transform a variety of industries, including fishing, agriculture, wellness, dietary preferences, packaging, housing, hospitality, tourism, apparel, fashion, water management, and energy.
The ministry has released guidelines on LiFE as the theme of the India pavilion at COP27 for think tanks, civil society organizations, industry bodies, and the private sector who may be interested in holding various side events in line with the theme, showcasing India's climate-friendly sustainable lifestyles.
According to the guidelines, the other topics that have been shortlisted for interested COP27 side event organizers include India's measures for clean energy towards inclusive growth and low carbon development, comprehending global net zero, and Its role in maintaining the 15 degree C goal and 33 major subjects include e-mobility, water sector adaptation, and clean-tech advances.
Through pavilions at previous Conference of Parties (COP), India has been effectively presenting significant accomplishments of its climate efforts and initiatives to address climate change. The first such pavilion was set up at COP21 in Paris in 2015.
