UN chief lauds Indian PM Modi’s climate action efforts

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has praised India's contribution to climate action in an article and said that everyone needs to make peace with nature, reduce our carbon footprints, and have a lifestyle that is compatible with a sustainable society and economy.

The UN Chief, who came to India in October to launch a major national and global initiative 'Mission LiFE' (Lifestyle for Environment), writes in his article that this initiative of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will mobilise citizens from all over world to understand that they have a role to play.

Talking about climate change, Guterres wrote, "We, presently, are consuming much more than the planet can produce. We are using 1.6 planets every year which is not sustainable. We need to think about how we behave, what we eat, and how can we recycle things and avoid waste. We need to understand that until the individual behaviour of each person is compatible with a sustainable society, there is not much that the governments can do to reduce pollution."

During his official visit to India, the UN chief also visited India's first 24x7 solar-powered village Modhera in Gujarat. Highlighting the benefits of project, Guterres said: "The gigantic project of India (commitment to achieve 500 GW renewable energy generation by 2030) is a very important contribution to climate action.

"There was a very symbolic nature to my visit to the village close to the temple of Sun (Surya Mandir in Modhera). It is not only the investment made by the government; it is the way the community came together which is commendable. You have villages where every house has some solar panels in which there is a link between the use of clean energy and the well-being of the families and of the community, the way the school works much better, the way people have more money to spend on other things or to create their savings.”

UN Chief further wrote that the solar project is a remarkable one of inclusivity and solidarity and very much in line with what the UN has presented in its Agenda 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aims to eradicate poverty, and improve living conditions for everybody, everywhere.

(ANI)