Sustainability is the future [2022]

The year 2022, has seen tremendous climate extremes and borne the resulting existential threats.

As we emerge from a devastating pandemic and witness the challenges of war and inflation, the steepest challenge lies in wait, climate change. It looks poised to get urgent disruptive and intense for the next few decades.

Leaders and innovators have come out of this transformative time with the understanding that riding and reconfiguring the currents that run deep in both, individual and societal psyche with respect to sustainable behaviour will affect generations to come.

What does this path look like, for sustainability, values and community legacy?

As per the latest report by the United nations intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC), global warming has already reached 1.1 degree Celsius above pre industrial levels. This indicates that we are far from net zero (Greenhouse gas GHG emissions being balanced by efforts to offset them) trajectory. 

The Paris Agreement, set forth a road map for sustainable living, as a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016. Its singular goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.

Is the Paris Agreement truly out of collective reach? In what ways is India, shouldering the responsibility of one sixth of humanity committed to it?

To achieve net zero by 2050, 2020-2030 remains the critical decade for sustainable living. 

India, having traversed 75 years since its independence is simultaneously celebrating and envisioning an ambitious future via the government initiative, Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

“The fulfilment of our resolutions in this Amrit period  will take us to the 100th anniversary of Indian independence with pride”. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India has historically demonstrated the developmental paradox of ample resource, ample poverty. In addition, the fate of our planet has been debated largely in favour of a doomsday prediction, by Malthus first and ‘the club of Rome’ later. 

To avert an oft  understood catastrophic future, conventions, scientific assessments as well as global declarations have formulated answers that came together as the Millennium Development Goals and finally the more comprehensive 2030 global agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals (2015).

They enumerate environmental, economic and social goals that are really interdependent. Utilising all four, human, physical, natural and social capital, the SDGs have been blueprints for some of the proposed flagship policy interventions in India aiming at inclusivity without compromising sustainability.

1.Poshan Abhiyan : Nutrition in infants.

2.Prasadhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana: World’s largest health assurance scheme.

3.Jal Jeevan Mission: Safe and adequate drinking water.

4.Samagra Siksha Abhiyan: Equal opportunities for schooling

5.National Skill Development Mission: Economic achievement met by skilled Indian ambition

6.Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme: Enhance rural livelihood security.

7.National smart cities mission: citizen friendly and sustainable urban renewal.

8.Prime Minister Gati Shakti Mission: connectivity across the country.

9.Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: Worlds largest sanitation campaign to improve solid waste management and eliminate open defecation.

10.Aadhar: World’s largest biometric system fostering national inclusivity.

The success of the above policies lies in their aim to promote future economic growth by providing means to counter inequality without sacrificing the sustainability of ecological services.

India’s ambitions extend to the development of green hydrogen [hydrogen produced with renewable energy], successful execution of which would help India achieve carbon neutrality by 2070 and reduce vulnerability to external energy shocks.

Over the past decade solar has become a fast developing renewable energy source in India, the world’s third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. The ISA [international Solar Alliance] with its motto of “let us together make the sun brighter” that was launched by India and France,  has developed several solar projects.

The achievement of sustainable development requires careful implementation of the policies in accordance with local challenges, capacities available, resources and global cooperation, as well as competent management of progress. To  meet the latter necessity, NITI Aayog has designed a single measurable index to track the progress of all states and union territories across several SDGs.

Other worthy initiatives include Namami Ganga Mission towards SDG goal 6 (sustainable management of water and sanitation for all) which involves achieving cleanliness for the river Ganga with combination of sewage management and infrastructure, urban sanitation, deployment of shimmers for river surface cleaning and inspection of point source pollution from industrial units.

Air pollution issues are being addressed by a number of initiatives comprising of both action points such as mitigation measures for vehicular emissions, suspension of road dust and other fugitive emissions and air quality monitoring across the country (NCAP – National Clean Air Program).

India is, thus, committed to follow the road map set by the Paris agreement the outcome of which is reflected in the fact that the narrative extends into the Safal Bharat Sanatan Bharat ( Sustainable India) initiative.

Acting on its nationally-determined contributions, India has electrified 100% of its villages, reduced 38 million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually through energy efficient appliances, provided clean cooking fuel to 80 million poor households, and set a target to install 450GW of renewable energy and restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. Globally, India stands third in renewable power, fourth in wind power, and fifth in solar power. India launched the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and the International Solar Alliance to leverage global partnerships for climate action and disaster resilience.

Our future then, depends solely on collective global action. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the ability of humankind to step up in the face of challenge.