Mains Marathon

• Briefly introduce the concept of Mission Life and its objective.
• Discuss how this mission life contributes to both combating climate change and achieving sustainable development goals.
• Conclude suitably with way forward.

Answer:

Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) is a global initiative by India to help the world lead a sustainable way of life and achieve the sustainable development goals set by the UN.

• It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the COP26 summit in Glasgow in 2021. It is expected to be an India-led global mass movement that will nudge individual and collective action to protect and preserve the environment.
• The mission aims to bring individual behaviors at the forefront of the global climate action narrative by nudging people to adopt and promote environmentally friendly lifestyles.

Mission LiFE contributes to both combating climate change and achieving sustainable development goals in several ways. Some of them are:

• It encourages people to reduce their consumption of fossil fuels, plastics, and other non-renewable resources, and switch to cleaner and greener alternatives, such as renewable energy, biodegradable materials, and circular economy.
  • This can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which are the main drivers of climate change, and also conserve natural resources for future generations.
• It promotes the concept of ‘Lifestyle of the planet, for the planet and by the planet’, which means living in harmony with nature and respecting its diversity and balance. This can help protect biodiversity, ecosystems, and ecosystem services, which are essential for human well-being and sustainable development.
  • Thus, this will support Goal 13 of SDG which calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
• It creates a global network of ‘Pro-Planet People’ (P3), who will have a shared commitment to support and inspire each other to adopt and spread environmentally friendly behaviours. This can foster a sense of global citizenship, solidarity, and cooperation among people from different backgrounds, cultures, and countries, which are crucial for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Mission LiFE is an innovative and ambitious initiative that can make a significant difference in addressing the twin challenges of climate change and sustainable development. It can also inspire other countries and stakeholders to join hands and take collective action for a better future for all.