Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav delivered national statement on the 50th session of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi. The Minister began his address by congratulating the United Nations Environment Programme on completing 50 years , during which it has rendered exceptional service to the global community.
The Minister stated that India has been engaging with UNEP since 1972, dealing with critical environmental challenges. UNEP is one of the leading global voices on environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and people to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations, he added.
Bhupendra Yadav emphasized that UNEP’s 50th anniversary must serve to strengthen international cooperation and encourage collective action to address the major environmental challenges of our time, including climate change, conserving and enhancing biodiversity, and tackling pollution and waste, while moving to the path of sustainability.
Yadav further highlighted that we must tackle today’s environmental crises using the latest science and cutting-edge digital tools and technologies. For this, fostering global knowledge and technology exchange without barriers is critical.
The Minister remarked that in 2018, India hosted the World Environment Day on the theme ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’.Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi gave a global call for eliminating single use plastics. This call of India provided the momentum leading to significant action on plastic pollution around the globe, culminating in the historic resolution and its adoption. We believe this will institutionalise ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’ around the world, he added.
The Minister said that on the occasion of its 50th anniversary it is appropriate that UNEP also turn to paying greater attention to the question of the means of implementation. Provision of finance, technology transfer and capacity building would ensure that implementation of these agreements is not a mere burden for developing countries but a pathway to a greener and healthier planet.
Shri Yadav further said that sustainable lifestyles underpin the survival of our planet. We believe that our utilization of resources must be based on ‘Mindful and Deliberate Utilization’ and NOT ‘Mindless and Destructive Consumption’. Our Hon’ble Prime Minister gave a clarion call of L.I.F.E. – Lifestyles for Environment at COP26 at Glasgow. We believe that UNEP should join hands with India to spread the message of L.I.F.E. to the global community with a view to safeguarding humanity and the planet.
The Minister stressed that India looks forward to stronger collaboration with UNEP on environmental issues including Conventions and multilateral agreements relating to the environment. UNEP should also build a robust portfolio of projects, particularly for delivering on the environmental dimensions of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, and other multilaterally agreed global environmental goals.
