26 September 2022.
Introduction:
Prime Minister Modi virtually inaugurated the National Conference of Environment Ministers held in Gujarat.
Highlights:
- National Conference of Environment Ministers of all States is a two-day event held at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat on September 23 and 24 this year.
- The objective of this conference is to promote cooperative federalism through the promotion of synergized working of central and state governments on issues pertaining to the environment and climate change.
- The conference will include 6 thematic sessions with topics focusing on LiFE, Combating Climate Change (Updating State Action Plans on Climate Change for Mitigation of Emissions and Adaptation to Climate Impacts); PARIVESH (Single Window System for Integrated Green Clearances); Forestry Management; Prevention and Control of Pollution; Wildlife Management; Plastics and Waste Management.
What is LiFE?
LiFE (Lifestyle for the Environment) was launched on June 5, 2022 on the occasion of World Environment Day to harness the power of individual and collective action to address the global climate crisis. It was introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland. This concept advocates for a mindful and deliberate utilization of resources as opposed to “mindful and wasteful consumption”. It aims to create a global movement towards the adoption of simple and specific climate-friendly behaviours in daily life. The LiFE seeks to make such daily actions an integral part of collective social norms and promote sustainable development of the overall global community. It will deploy behavioural techniques like nudges, social and behaviour change communication to achieve its goals.
What is PARIVESH?
PARIVESH (Pro Active Responsive facilitation by Interactive and Virtuous Environmental Single window Hub) is an initiative of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. It provides single window clearance mechanism for those seeking Environment, Forest, Wildlife and CRZ Clearances from Central, State and district level authorities. It enables citizens to interact with scrutiny officers, generate online clearance letters, online mailers and alerts to state government officials in case of delays in the processing of applications.
Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan
Guidelines for ‘Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan- Ranking of Cities’ was released during the National Conference of Environment Ministers. The Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan ranks 131 cities across India for the implementation of City Action Plans prepared as part of National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) for the reduction of air pollution up to 40 per cent by 2025-26. The cities are categorized into three groups based on population. The first group has cities with population more than 10 lakh, the second has population between 3 to 10 lakh and the third has population less than 3 lakh. The ranking is based on the annual self-assessment of the cities based on the framework provided in the government portal.
About National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)
The NCAP is a long-term strategy that aims to achieve 20-30% reduction in Particulate Matter Concentration by 2024, with 2017 as the base year for comparison of the concentration. Specific plans were created for each city. These plans include strengthening of monitoring network, reducing vehicular/industrial emissions, awareness creation etc. The implementation of these plans are regularly monitored by Committees at Central and State levels.