Emphasising that the world urgently needed a paradigm shift from ”mindless and destructive consumption to mindful and deliberate utilisation,” India on Tuesday called for nurturing the world through sustainable lifestyles that optimised resource use and minimised waste.

”As the world’s most populous democracy and a vibrant emerging economy, India seeks to lead by example, and invites the global community to be a part of Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) for individual, family and community-based actions,” Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said while delivering India’s National Statement at COP 27 at Sharm-El-Sheikh in Egypt.

Yadav referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement in Glasgow of India’s aim of achieving net zero emissions by 2070 and pointed out that within one year, India has submitted its Long-Term Low Emissions Growth Strategy indicating low carbon transition pathways in key economic sectors.

Responding to the call for increased ambition in India’s 2030 climate targets, the country updated its Nationally Determined Contributions in August 2022. ”We have embarked on far-reaching new initiatives in renewable energy, e-mobility, ethanol blended fuels, and green hydrogen as an alternate energy source,” Yadav said.

He said India also sought to foster strong international cooperation through action and solutions-oriented coalitions like the International Solar Alliance and Coalition of Disaster Resilience Infrastructure, both of which were launched and nurtured by India. ”This is a testimony to our ethos of collective action for global good.”

Yadav said that India, home to 1.3 billion people, was undertaking this arduous effort, despite the reality that its contribution to the world’s cumulative emissions so far was less than 4 per cent and its annual per capita emissions were about one-third of the global average.

At the heart of India’s vision of a safe planet is a one-word Mantra — LiFE — that PM Modi set forth in India’s National Statement at COP26.

The Indian Minister said India was assuming the Presidency of the G20 in 2023 with the motto of ‘One Earth, One family, One future.’ ”Our journey towards a planet safe for humanity, is one that no nation can undertake alone. This is a collective journey to be undertaken with equity and climate justice as our guiding principles,” he said.

Yadav hoped the fight against climate change would unite the world as one family.