India, EU pledge to plog for plastic-free Delhi

They jogged around India Gate and kept picking up litter around the iconic monument to make a pledge for a clean and plastic free Delhi by "plogging" -- a Swedish fitness trend that combines running with collecting garbage.

The event on Friday was organised by the Embassy of Sweden here and a group of ploggers of India together with the European Union ahead of the World Environment Day on June 5.

It was part of the EU's series of environmental programmes in India. 

The EU delegation and missions of European Union member states in New Delhi with the support of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change co-hosted a Conference on Plastic Pollution and Management - Sharing Best Practices at Vigyan Bhawan on Friday.

The theme of the conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries was in line with this year's theme - ‘Beat Plastic Pollution'.

EU ambassador to India Tomasz Kozlowski congratulated India for its leadership in dealing with environmental issues globally. "India is a key partner of the EU with partnerships on clean energy and climate change, water, smart and sustainable urbanization, air quality and resource efficiency," Kozlowski said.

Taking the cooperation to the next level, the Ambassador said, EU Commissioner for Environment would lead a delegation of about 50 EU businesses to India in September as part of the CII Sustainability Summit.

On June 5, the EU delegation and the embassies of the EU member states are expected to announce and adopt a "green pledge" aimed at eliminating the use of single-use plastic products, saving energy and water resources and managing waste.