Modi declares trinity of environmental efforts for improving global commons

New Delhi: The three global alliances floated by India as part of climate action -- CDRI, IRIS and LIFE -- will form the trinity of India's environment efforts for improving the global commons, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday.

"Coalition of Disaster Resilient (CDRI), Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS) and LIFE, the one-word mantra of 'Lifestyle for Environment', will be a coalition of like-minded people across the world who will promote sustainable lifestyle.

"I call them 3Ps -- pro-planet people. This global movement of pro-planet people is the coalition for life. These three global coalitions will form the trinity of our environment efforts for improving the global commons," Modi said.

India launched CDRI at the UN Climate Action summit in September 2019 while IRIS was launched at the COP26 in Glasgow last year, where Modi also gave the LIFE mantra as an appeal for combined climate action.

The Prime Minister was speaking at the inaugural event of the Word Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS2022) organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

The theme for this year's event is 'Towards a Resilient Planet: Ensuring a Sustainable and Equitable Future'.

Equitable energy access to the poor has been the cornerstone of India's energy policy. Environmental sustainability can only be achieved through climate justice.

Stating that energy requirements of the people of India are expected to double in the next 20 years, the Prime Minister said, "Denying this energy to them will be denying life itself to millions."

Successful climate action policy needs adequate finance for which every country needs to fulfil their commitments on finance and technology, he said.

For this, developed countries need to fulfil their commitments for climate finance and technology.

Modi also recounted the various steps taken by India as part of its climate action. They are land restoration, Ujwala Yojana, LED bulbs, renewable energy, including solarisation of agriculture pumps, among others.

He also spoke of a whole of the world approach and highlighted the International Solar Alliance. Modi reminded the world about how India's tradition ensured living life in harmony with nature.

Earlier, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said that despite the adverse impacts of the pandemic on the economy, India has enhanced its climate ambition.

"India is spearheading one of the most ambitious clean energy transitions in the world. The inclusive and sustainable macro-economic development of India requires that both adaptation and mitigation objectives of the country are uniformly and equitably responded, within the larger goal of meeting our people's aspirations and needs," Yadav said, adding, "Our latest Union Budget has reaffirmed our determination to go down this path."

Reminding the developed countries to 'respond on their part with due ambition', Yadav said, "They must meet both their promises -- of reducing emissions drastically by changing their lifestyles, and providing the developing countries with increased finance and technology support."

Michael Rubern Bloomberg of the Bloomberg Philanthropies received the Sustainable Development Leadership Award at the end of the inaugural event.