LIFE - A GLOBAL MISSION

LIFE, or lifestyle for environment, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at COP26 in November 2021, brings a fresh and much needed perspective. Rather than framing climate change as a ‘larger than life’ challenge, LIFE recognizes that small individual actions can tip the balance in the planet’s favor.

Mindful choices cultivated by LIFE animate this point - actions such as saving energy at home; cycling and using public transport instead of driving; eating more plant based food and wasting less; and leveraging our position as customers and employees to demand climate friendly choices.

And while LIFE is a global vision, India is an excellent place to start. With over 1.3 billion people, if we achieve a true Jan Angolan here, the momentum generated will be enormous. As India leads, we see the world increasingly follow.

On 20th October 2022, from the Statue of Unity, Gujarat, this vision of LIFE is taking flight as a global mission launched by Mr. Modi. The Prime Minister called on all consumers across the world to become “Pro Planet People” by 2027, adopting simple lifestyle changes that can collectively lead to transformational change.

The LIFE mission also recognizes that accountability is relative to contribution. Emissions across the poorest half of the world’s population combined still fall short of even 1% of the wealthiest. Those who consume the least, often the most vulnerable and marginalized members of society, will not be asked to consume less, but rather supported to participate in the green economy. Each ‘pro planet’ stakeholder is nudged according to differentiated approaches.

ONUS ON THE DEVELOPED WORLD

The same applies across countries. LIFE resonates with the global climate justice India has rightfully called for-highlighting enhanced obligations those in developed countries bear, to support climate adaptation and mitigation for those most affected, yet least responsible. The average carbon footprint of a person in a high income country is more than 80 times higher than that of a person in a least developed country. It is common sense and only fair to call on the developed world to shoulder a proportionate share of this transition.

In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “the world has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone's greed”.