India's Green Struggle: Can We Change Our Ways?

Changing habits to help the environment can be tough. In India, a big effort to get people to make greener choices has lost its momentum. This effort, known as Mission Life, was meant to get folks to do things like ride bikes instead of driving cars or use less plastic. It was a big deal for India's Prime Minister and other leaders, who saw it as a key step in fighting climate change. The plan was to get everyone involved in cutting down on things like electricity use and car trips. Imagine going to your yearly budget meeting and hearing nothing about this big environmental push! That's what happened recently. No updates have been shared on the Mission Life website since March 2024. It's like the initiative was put on the back burner. Making big changes in how people live day-to-day is tough, especially without financial rewards. But the lessons from Mission Life can help shape future policies that might work better. Latha Girish, who runs a company that makes plastic packaging, is focused on keeping her business afloat. She hasn't really thought about Mission Life or similar initiatives. Many small businesses are more concerned with survival than with cutting emissions. If using more eco-friendly materials means higher prices, customers might go elsewhere. It’s a tough spot to be in. On the other hand, Sunil Mysore, the CEO of a sustainability company, says making changes is possible if people are motivated to live better lives. Mysore’s home is completely off the grid, and they reuse waste to make energy. They even have a rooftop garden and harvest rainwater. This helps them deal with water shortages in Bengaluru. Prasad Gawade, who runs an eco-tourism company, agrees. He says he runs his business with the environment in mind, but not because of government initiatives. Smaller businesses often don’t get the same support as bigger ones. Sanjib Pohit, a senior fellow at a research council, thinks major infrastructure changes are needed for Mission Life to succeed. Things like electric trams or trains could make a big difference. Another way to cut emissions is by making current habits more efficient. Everything that uses energy can be made more efficient. This can cut carbon pollution without changing people’s lifestyles. Experts call this a “low-hanging fruit” because it’s easy to do and doesn’t cost much. But the government didn't allocate more funds for energy efficiency schemes. Latha Girish mentioned that making her company more efficient would cost a lot upfront, and she can't afford it without government support. The International Energy Agency reported that global energy efficiency improved by only a little over 1% in 2023. Countries agreed to double energy efficiency by the end of the decade. So, there's a lot more to do. Each person’s emissions or their small business' emissions don't seem like much, but addressing both individual emissions and major polluters is important. Changing behavior isn’t easy, but making people aware of their choices can help. Mission Life is like an advisory that anyone can follow, and it’s been somewhat successful in getting people to think about these issues. For Sunil Mysore, living sustainably is more than just about cutting emissions. It’s about the joy of being sustainable. Even if his efforts don’t make a huge difference, he believes small actions can spark bigger changes.