For nearly four years, India promoted Mission Life, a program encouraging citizens to adopt low-pollution habits, but the latest federal budget omitted any mention of it, signaling its decline.
Sibi Arasu reports for The Associated Press.
In short:
- Mission Life, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aimed to cut emissions by promoting personal choices like reducing plastic use and car travel.
- The initiative struggled due to a lack of financial incentives, limited infrastructure changes and low awareness among small businesses.
- Experts say improving energy efficiency in appliances and systems could reduce emissions without requiring major lifestyle shifts, but India's budget did not allocate new funds for such programs.
Key quote:
“For me, it’s the pure joy of being sustainable. I know that just me doing these things will not reduce carbon emissions in any great measure, but you never know when a spark can change into a fire.”
— Sunil Mysore, CEO of Hinren Engineering
Why this matters:
Encouraging sustainable personal choices — like driving less, reducing energy consumption at home or adopting a plant-based diet— has been a central message in efforts to combat climate change. While these actions can collectively lower emissions, experts argue they’re often insufficient without broader structural support. Policy measures and financial incentives play a critical role in enabling widespread change, especially for communities and individuals who may lack the resources to make such choices on their own.
Related: US and India lead G20 in climate progress but challenges remain
