The Economic Survey 2023-24 stated that the “current global strategies for climate change are flawed and not universally applicable. It states that adopting the practices of the West could prove to be disastrous for India where culture, economy, societal norms are already intertwined with the environment.” The survey was tabled by Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs in Parliament on July 22, 2034, informed Ministry of Finance, PIB.
The Ministry has raised concern after the Economic Survey 2023-24 and taking a critical view of the Western approach to tackle Climate Change. “The Economic Survey 2023-24 gives a clarion call to all developing countries to look at climate change problem from a ‘local lens’. It states that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach will not work, and developing countries need to be free to choose their own pathways since they are tasked with balancing developmental goals with meaningful climate action,” stated the Ministry.
Further, the document highlighted that India is often faced with criticism for not aligning with the Western solutions despite making notable progress in climate change. However, the Ministry stated that the criticism surfaces from overlooking, “India’s unique social and cultural fabric, which is already rich with sustainable development ideas.” Additionally, it also stated that the solutions provided to tackle climate change is not universally applicable as developing and developed nations have varying circumstances. These are:
– The Western approach does not seek to address the root of the problem, i.e. overconsumption, but rather chooses to substitute the means to achieve overconsumption.
– The global pursuit of energy-guzzling technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and mining rare earth minerals in large quantities has only contributed to higher fossil fuel consumption. This is directly at odds with the stated objectives of climate change mitigation.
– Lifestyles in developed countries ignore humans’ underlying relationship with Nature, with other people, with materiality and with themselves.
“The Economic Survey 2023-24 stresses that India’s ethos emphasises a harmonious relationship with nature, in sharp contrast to the culture of overconsumption prevalent in other parts of the developed world, thus offering sustainable solutions to problems plaguing Western societies.,” stated the Ministry. For instance:
– Meat production: The process of meat production adopted in the developed world presents credible food security risks and a threat of permanently degrading the land, water and natural resources critical for human survival. The reliance on human-edible crops to feed livestock has set into motion a ‘food-feed competition’ as less than half the cereals produced today go towards direct human consumption. These figures are even lower for many developed economies.
– The Survey notes that traditional farming practices from the developing world, where several agricultural activities are integrated with livestock rearing, offer one solution to the problem. Repurposing farm waste and by-products from other agricultural activities as animal feed not only lowers the financial and environmental cost of meat production but also brings balance to the natural cycle. Shifting livestock to human-inedible feed can free up significant shares of global arable land to address global hunger, it adds.
– Nucleated families: Similarly, the adoption of nucleated families akin to the Western model of living places significant land and resource requirements on the environment, as the growth in urban nucleated settlements gives rise to the tendency of ‘urban sprawl’. Furthermore, these living spaces are highly inefficient, dominated by concrete, closed spaces, less ventilation and exacting higher energy costs during the summers.
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Additionally, the survey brought into account viewing ‘traditional multi-generational house-holds’ as a path towards sustainable housing and further suggested the use of locally sourced labour, materials and incorporating natural lighting and ventilation which results in lower resource and energy consumption which also highly benefits the elderly.
Further, the Economic Survey has highlighted Mission LiFE, a vision proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The ministry stated that it embodies a ‘Lifestyle For Environment’ which “encompasses a comprehensive but non-exhaustive list of 75 LiFE Actions for adoption by individuals to live more sustainably. At its heart, it promotes mindful consumption instead of overconsumption, encourages a circular economy and the reuse of waste products, eating local plant-based cuisines with a low ecological footprint, saving water and energy”. According to International Energy Agency, the adoption of LiFE initiative worldwide “would reduce annual global carbon dioxide emissions by more than 2 billion tonnes in 2030 (20% of the emissions reductions needed by 2030) and in consumer savings of about USD 440 billion.”
The Survey document stated that it, “upholds the tenets of Mission ‘LiFE’ and notes that the global movement on climate change must be accommodative of sovereign choices and economic needs, but centred on individual behaviour. It’s time to rebuild societies with equanimity.”
