Hitting out at the western world for their climate change strategies, the Economic Survey termed them as “flawed and not universally applicable”, arguing that adopting those practices could prove disastrous for the country as culture, economy and societal norms are deeply intertwined with the environment.
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The survey says that all developing countries should look at climate change problem from a ‘local lens’ as western approach of ‘one-size-fits-all’ will not work. “The developing countries need to be free to choose their own pathways since they are tasked with balancing developmental goals with meaningful climate action.”
The document took cognizance of the criticism hurled at India’s way as it does aligns itself with the western solutions. “This criticism stems from a lack of appreciation for India's unique social and cultural fabric, which is already rich with sustainable development ideas. The western approach does not seek to address the root of the problem: overconsumption, but rather chooses to substitute the means to achieve overconsumption.”
“The global pursuit of energy-guzzling technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and mining rare earth minerals in large quantities has only contributed to higher fossil fuel consumption. This is directly at odds with the stated objectives of climate change mitigation... Lifestyles in developed countries ignore humans’ underlying relationship with Nature, with other people, with materiality and with themselves.”
Instead, the India way of tackling the climate change would be to develop a harmonious relationship with nature, in sharp contrast to the culture of overconsumption prevalent in other parts of the developed world, thus offering sustainable solutions to problems plaguing western societies.
Citing an example, the survey added, “The process of meat production adopted in the developed world presents credible food security risks and a threat of permanently degrading the land, water and natural resources critical for human survival.
The reliance on human-edible crops to feed livestock has set into motion a ‘food-feed competition’ as less than half the cereals produced today go towards direct human consumption. These figures are even lower for many developed economies.”
Batting for the traditional farming practices from the developing world, where several agricultural activities are integrated with livestock rearing, offer one solution to the problem. The survey favoured repurposing farm waste and by-products from other agricultural activities as animal feed not only lowers the financial and environmental cost of meat production but also brings balance to the natural cycle.
“Shifting livestock to human-inedible feed can free up significant shares of global arable land to address global hunger,” it adds.
Similarly, the survey argues in favour of ‘traditional multi-generational households’ instead of adoption of nucleated families akin to the western model of living places. The survey says the nuclear families generated living spaces are highly inefficient, dominated by concrete, closed spaces, less ventilation and exacting higher energy costs during the summers.
In contrast, joint family system would prove immensely beneficial for the elderly. They would also create the pathway towards sustainable housing. Sourcing materials and labour locally for the construction of houses, central courtyards with well-ventilated spaces, and avenues for natural lighting and cooling would all exert a positive externality on the environment by lowering resource and energy requirements.
The survey offers Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Mission LiFE, which embodies a ‘Lifestyle For Environment’ seeking to address the ‘wants’ of the people without letting them hurt nature. The approach seeks to bring individual responsibility to the forefront of the fight against climate change, as sustenance is at the core of Indian ethos.
The mission encompasses a comprehensive but non-exhaustive list of 75 LiFE Actions for adoption by individuals to live more sustainably. At its heart, it promotes mindful consumption instead of overconsumption, encourages a circular economy and the reuse of waste products, eating local plant-based cuisines with a low ecological footprint, saving water and energy, the Survey said.
The survey quoting the International Energy Agency states that adoption of the kinds of actions and measures targeted by the LiFE initiative worldwide would reduce annual global carbon di-oxide emissions by more than 2 billion tonnes in 2030 (20 per cent of the emissions reductions needed by 2030) and in consumer savings of about USD 440 billion.
