On October 20, 2022, the Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi, and United Nations Secretary General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres made the global launch of Mission LiFE (Lifestyle For Environment) for sustainable and healthy lifestyle at the Statue of Unity, Ekta Nagar, Kevadia, Gujarat.
- The UNSG Antonio Guterres also unveiled the LiFE logo and tagline and released the Mission Document.
- This launch event was organized by the NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), in collaboration with the Government of Gujarat.
The UNSG was on an official visit to India from 18-20 October 2022. It was his first trip to India since he began his second term as secretary-general in January 2022. He earlier visited India in October 2018 during his first term.
What is Mission LiFE?
It was introduced by PM Narendra Modi during COP26 (Conference of the Parties) at Glasgow, Scotland in November 2021. The mission is a 5-year program (2022-2027). In the first year, it will be curated and incubated by NITI Aayog, and then will be implemented by MoEFCC.
i.This initiative will enable the contribution of everyone in per own capacity to fight against climate change as it encourages P3 model, i.e. Pro Planet People.
- It means adopting simple environment and climate-friendly behaviour and actions in daily lives.
ii.It functions on the basic principles of ‘Lifestyle of the planet, for the planet and by the planet’.
iii.It highlights the concept of ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ and circular economy.
iv.It is India’s signature initiative at the UN and other international platforms for showcasing climate action and early achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
v.Its objective is to mobilize global citizens to take individual and collective action for protecting and preserving the environment in the period 2022 to 2027.
- Within India, at least 80% of all villages and urban local bodies are aimed to become environment-friendly by 2028.
Key Points:
i.Public, academic and private institutions have been asked to submit idea papers for Mission LiFE by the end of 2022.
- The 100 best ideas shall become part of a compendium to be released at the Global LiFE Conference in 2023.
- The best ideas will be awarded at COP28 which will be held in November 2023 at Dubai Expo City, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
ii.During the event, PM Narendra Modi also attended a bilateral meeting with UNSG.
iii.Union Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also holdsed bilateral discussions with UNSG on issues of global concern, and steps to deepen India’s engagement with the UN.
iv.UNSG delivered a public address at IIT (Indian Institute of Technology)-Mumbai in Maharashtra on the theme “India @75: UN-India Partnership: Strengthening South-South Cooperation”.
v.He also visit Modhera, located in Gujarat’s Mehsana district, which was recently declared as India’s first 24×7 solar-powered village. It also has one of the oldest Sun Temples.
vi.India is ranked 4th in wind energy and 5th in solar energy.
vii.The annual per capita carbon footprint in India is about 1.5 tons, compared to the world average of 4 tons per year.
Participants:
More than 500 people consisting of 116 Indian Heads of Missions abroad, U.N. Heads of Agencies in India, top government officials, development partners, and other policy makers participated in the event.
Recent Related News:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/76/L.75 titled “The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment” and declared the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a human right.
ii.India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations(UN), Geneva (Switzerland) revealed that it contributed USD 400,000 (over Rs 3 crore) to four Voluntary Trust Funds as a part of its commitment to global promotion and protection of human rights and support for United Nations Human Rights.
About United Nations:
Headquarters– New York, United States
Establishment– 1945
