The ongoing BRICS (grouping Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) ministerial on environment at Durban, South Africa, has agreed to include India’s societal movement “Green Good Deeds” in its official agenda at the next ministerial in Brazil and another meeting in Russia.
With this, the Green Good Deeds movement, which was launched by Union Environment Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan, as part of a nation-wide campaign in January to protect environment and promote good living in the country, has found acceptance by the global community.
Reacting to the move by the ministerial, Harsh Vardhan said international conferences on environment had been deliberating and adopting declarations.
However, he wondered how these declarations could be put to practice at the ground level, involving every section of the society. “Green Good Deeds is an idea to take it to the people and get them involved,” he added.
Earlier, in his opening remarks at the ministerial, Vardhan had urged the grouping to jointly work for developing a movement around Green Good Deeds. “In India, we are trying to develop a societal movement of Green Good Deeds, which are small positive actions to be performed by individuals or organisations to strengthen the cause of environmental protection,” he told the gathering on Friday.
There was wide acceptance to the suggestion and acting Deputy Executive Director, UN Environment (UNEP) representative at the conclave, Jorge Laguna-Celis, lauded the initiative.
Launching the nation-wide campaign in January, Vardhan had enlisted the cooperation of thousands of people ~ students, teachers, voluntary organisations, Residents Welfare Associations and professionals to adopt these deeds.
The Union environment ministry had drawn up a list of over 500 Green Good Deeds and asked people to alter their behaviour to fulfil their “Green Social Responsibility”. These small, positive actions, to be performed by individuals or organisations to strengthen the cause of environmental protection, have been put up on a mobile App named “Dr Harsh Vardhan”.