Forum for Future

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Delhi: The consensus at the Summit on Sustainability was echoed by Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar when he said economic development and environmental sustainability are not antithetical to each other. He affirmed the commitment of the Narendra Modi Government to build on economic development while not compromising on sustainable development. The day-long Summit was an initiative of Organiser and Panchjanya to bring the different stakeholders of environment conservation on a single platform for evolving an effective action plan to fight the climate change and other environmental issues.

 

 

 

  

 

At the first session of the Summit, which was a panel discussion, Shri Prafulla Ketkar, editor of Organiser, laid down the proposition for the discussion. The basic premise of the discourse asked whether economic development and environmental sustainability are mutually incompatible to each other? Moreover, what about the ‘models of development’? Shri Ketkar raised the issue on how categories like Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be many times not conscious of diversities of national issues, and through globalisation of such categories and processes, they may also lead to Americanisation at the end. The panel had four distinguished speakers from the economics and development, environment, policy and law. Each respective area of inquiry was represented by Vice Chancellor of Gautam Buddha University Prof Bhagwati Prakash, environment journalist Nivedita Khandekar, Joint Secretary, Development Partnership Administration Division at Ministry of External Affairs, A. Ajay Kumar and advocate Vikrant Pachnanda.

 

 

 

 

Prof Bhagwati Prakash, while starting the deliberation on the issue, drew a complex picture of the interconnectedness of water level, soil quality, pollinating agents and cropping patters relating to environmental sustainability. “Sustainable development crucially depends on the sustainable limits of consumption and economised utilisation of the resources. A shift towards renewable resources is the urgent way forward. Because of excessive use and misuse of resources, even the biodiversity is getting destroyed. We need to keep an account of our carbon footprint. The way forward to environmental sustainability is from micro to macro and from individual initiatives to the initiatives through the state policy. We need to rethink the category of development itself. We need to move away from the hype of per capita consumption, to see how we are contributing to make the world more congenial,” he said.

 

 

 From left Sh. Vikrant Pachnanda, Prof Bhagwati Prakash, Sh. Prafulla Ketkar, Smt Nivedita
Khandekar and Sh. Ajay Kumar at inaugural session

 

He further said: “Our model of development should be such that agriculture and industry must make environmental sustainability the main focus of their practices. More important, everyone as individual must try and reduce consumption that will lead to lesser emission of carbon and thus help fight climate change. Already the heating up of planet earth due to climate change has caused 6000 glaciers in the Himalayas to melt. Just imagine if all the glaciers melt, will we have water in river Ganga, the lifeline of North India?”

 

 

On the model of environmental sustainability, Prof Bhagwati Prakash said in response to a question from the moderator of the panel discussion Shri Prafulla Ketkar, that since China emits the highest amount of greenhouse gases, it cannot be a role model. The Indian way of life and frugal living to the extent possible along with the focus on renewable energy and renewable resources can be the model that can work not only in India but also the world, he said. “We should look at our lifestyles, our use of electricity and resources. We need to come out with a new definition of development and use of resources should be cut down if we want to ensure sustainable development,” he said adding that we must create sustainable lifestyle right from the family level.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The critique of Nehruvian modernity came from environment journalist Nivedita Khandekar. She suggested that the phenomenon of “temples of Modern India” needs a re-examination. She suggested that we need to go back to the Indian tradition of decentralised storage of water. Plastic pollution hotspots need to be identified and sync between policy and implementation need to be affirmed. She also added that Bharat in its global leadership needs to strike a balance between adaptation and mitigation of alternative technology and also learn from Hindu models of urban planning in Kautilya and Shivaji Maharaj. She suggested that the chronic mismatch of priorities at the level of implementation of policies regarding environmental sustainability need urgent addressing. She highlighted the gaps in policy formulation and implementation and cited a few examples to show that although everyone knew what needed to be done, but collectively as a nation at times failed. The intent of the government is good, but many times implementation leaves a lot to be desired and thus frustrating the endeavour, she added. She applauded the initiative by ‘Organiser’ and stressed that such summits should be organised frequently on different issues concerning the nation and society.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The perspective of the state policy was presented by Shri A. Ajay Kumar, Joint Secretary, Development Partnership Administration Division at the Ministry of External Affairs. He said sustainable development is not merely a discourse in the discussion, it is a way of life. It will have to encompass every section of society to take everyone along. Bharat in its commitment as a global power is responsible for its carbon emission commitments. Two major initiatives in International Solar Alliance and contribution of US $ 2 billion to develop solar tech in LED nations have been taken. He also suggested that focus in discussion needs to shift from carbon emission cuts to carbon sync by increasing the forest cover. Shri Ajay Kumar further said that any new policy prescription on environmental sustainability will have to take the requirements and conditions of people of Bharat in consideration. He clearly mentioned that the Government of India is not ready to compromise on the national interest. He said India will be achieving a carbon emission reduction of 30 per cent by 2030. He spoke about the Solar Alliance India has formed with 78 countries and said this forms a significant initiative in the renewable energy creation efforts of the country. India is also on course to fulfil its commitments made to the international comity of nations on reductions in carbon emissions. He said already per capita emissions in India are the lowest in the world. He said there was a need to take a holistic view of sustainability and have to improve our water tables, recharge water bodies and reduce water for farming activities. The debate of development versus environment is not the issue that development is important and number one priority. But this needs to be done in a way that the country achieves sustainability.