U.N. Secretary-General, PM Modi to launch the environmental programme

• United Nations Secretary-General will be travelling to India to launch a special environment programme with India’s Prime Minister.

Details:

• The programme which is going to be launched is part of the ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ (LiFE) initiative that was announced by Mr Modi earlier this year.
• This is going to be Mr Guterres, a second visit to India during his tenure as UN Secretary-General.
• “Climate chaos is knocking on everyone’s door” and it needs a global response. It appears promising to see Indian leadership and the UN coming together.

The launch of the programme:

• The launch will be marked on Sardar Patel’s birthday on October 31 as National Unity Day.
• The launch event at Kevadia (Gujrat) will also kick off a number of other governmental plans.
• From October 25-31, the government will launch “Unitea” marches in all 750 districts of the country to highlight health and environmental issues as well.
• The launch will be attended by hundreds of officials, and over a hundred diplomats and heads of Indian missions worldwide.

About Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) Movement:

• The idea of LiFE promotes an environmentally conscious lifestyle that focuses on ‘mindful and deliberate utilization’ instead of ‘mindless and wasteful consumption.
• The idea of LiFE was introduced by the Prime Minister during the 26^th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow in 2021.

Aim of the LiFE movement:

• The LiFE Movement aims to bring positive change in the environment through collective action.
• It aims to persuade individuals across the world to undertake simple climate-friendly actions in their daily lives or adoption of environment-conscious lifestyle.
• It also seeks to make the best use of social networks to influence social norms surrounding climate.

P3 in LiFE movement:

• The Mission plans to create and nurture a global network of individuals, namely ‘Pro-Planet People’ (P3).
• P3 will have a shared commitment to adopt and promote environmentally friendly lifestyles.

Most important objective of LiFE:

• The Mission envisions replacing the prevalent ‘use-and-dispose’ economy with a circular economy.
• The ‘Use and dispose’ economy is governed by mindless and destructive consumption whereas the circular economy is defined by mindful and deliberate utilization.