New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch a global initiative 'Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) Movement' on Sunday at 6 pm via video conferencing.

As per the PMO, the launch will initiate the "LiFE Global Call for Papers" inviting ideas and suggestions from academics, universities and research institutions etc to influence and persuade individuals, communities and organisations across the world to adopt an environment-conscious lifestyle.

The Prime Minister will also deliver a keynote address during the programme. The programme will also witness the participation of Bill Gates, Co-Chairman of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Lord Nicholas Stern, Climate Economist; Professor Cass Sunstein, author of Nudge Theory; Aniruddha Dasgupta, CEO and President of the World Resources Institute; Inger Andersen, UNEP Global Head; Achim Steiner, UNDP Global Head and David Malpass, World Bank President, among others.

The idea of LiFE was introduced by the Prime Minister during the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow last year. The idea promotes an environmentally conscious lifestyle that focuses on 'mindful and deliberate utilisation' instead of 'mindless and destructive consumption'. Recently at the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Davos Agenda 2022, PM Modi introduced the "P3 (Pro-Planet People) movement" that underlines India's climate change commitments. He pointed towards the challenges that our lifestyle causes for the climate.

"'Throw away' culture and consumerism have deepened the climate challenge. It is imperative to rapidly move from today's 'take-make-use-dispose' economy to a circular economy", he had stressed. At COP 26 in Glasgow, PM Modi announced that India has set a target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2070. India also updated its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) that have to be met by 2030. Its new pledge included increasing the country's installed renewable capacity to 500 GW, meeting 50 per cent of its energy requirements from non-fossil fuel sources.

At the COP 21 in Paris, India made similar ambitious announcements and aimed to reduce the economy-wide emissions intensity by 33-35 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030. In August, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy announced that the country has installed 100 GW of renewable energy capacity. While this is a milestone, India is on track to accomplishing only about two-thirds of its planned renewable target of 175 GW installation by 2022.