India has demonstrated that behavioural changes can make substantial contributions to achieving the global war on the climate change

Each one of us has an equal stake in protecting the climate. The world is now far more aware of climate change. The episodes of prolonged drought and super floods, which have been seen across the continents, should leave none in doubt about the immediacy of climate change. This is no more knocking at the doors. Climate change has entered our houses, and the time is now for each one of us to fight the demon with all our might.

India has always played a leading role in protecting the environment. The Indian way of life is in sync with the environment. Trees have been worshipped in India for ages. Animals have been part of Indian culture, and they are venerated. The Indian way of life is incomplete without nature. Thus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has very forcefully made the world hear the Indian voice for mitigating climate change is heard with due respect.

Prime Minister Modi in his address to the World Bank’s programme on ‘Making it personal: How behavioural change can tackle climate change’ made forceful arguments to take climate action to the dinner table. This by all accounts is the most logical action in the battle against climate change.

Individual ownership of climate change—which affects all without discriminating on income, caste, creed, religion, nationality and class—is the need of the hour. In fact, the International Energy Agency in a report has stated that 75 individual actions can help cut down almost two billion tonnes of carbon emissions by 2030.

Therefore, PM Modi rightly said that we must eliminate food waste from the dining table. The call is timely, as 15 billion tonnes of food get wasted annually all across the world. Here, Mission LiFE, launched jointly by PM Modi and the UN General Secretary in October 2022, is a timely intervention in effecting the necessary behavioural changes to achieve the nationally committed goals to cut down emissions to help the world bring down the rising temperature.

There is a greater awareness of the effects of climate change among the people. One-third of Pakistan was ravaged by the super floods last year, which swept away a large number of people, infrastructure, and livestock in its spate. The aftermath of the super floods is still being seen in Pakistan in the form of the food crisis, and the Islamic country had to import wheat from Russia recently. A number of rivers in China and Latin America had died as a consequence of climate change.

In this context, PM Modi has given leadership to the Global South, and the developing nations, and has come to a crucial stage. The developed world must commit to its share of responsibility with adequate funding for climate mitigation efforts in developing and poor countries. With the Indian G20 presidency, the voices of the Global South have gained prominence on critical issues, including climate change.

Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav has strongly raised the Indian voice in the global forums where he has highlighted that India has taken several actions in the last few years to demonstrate the actionable agenda for the world. For instance, India has acted with speed in the mass adoption of LED lights for saving energy. India has already distributed 37 crore LED bulbs to the people, which will help in cutting down 3.9 billion tonnes of carbon emissions. India has been making intense efforts in energy conservation, as the effects of the combined efforts will be seen in the saving of 22 billion power units.

Agriculture is a critical sector where modern ways of farming are needed to accelerate climate change goals. Over seven lakh hectares of farmland are now covered under micro-irrigation, made possible by the targeted execution of the Central schemes and the greater awareness among the farmers to adopt the best practices. The Indian farmers have set examples for the world by taking measures that are in sync with the global demand to cut down carbon emissions.

The International Solar Alliance, headquartered in India, is equally playing the role of a catalyst to accelerate the efforts for the energy transition. India is on course to source most of its energy needs from renewable sources. Farmers have also shown greater interest in solar pumping sets, which is also supported by the Central scheme. Additionally, villages are now going solar, and the people in the rural areas are now even making an additional income by selling the surplus solar power in the open market.

India has demonstrated that behavioural changes can make substantial contributions to achieving the global tasks on climate change. The people in India have now shown that they are steps ahead in adapting to climate-appropriate practices for the well-being of the global community. India is truly living the guiding philosophy of ‘Vasudhev Kutumbkam (the world is one family)’.

(Author is the national general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party)