10/08/2015 SevenBillionDreams.OnePlanet.Consumewithcare.

PressInformationBureau
GovernmentofIndia
MinistryofEnvironmentandForests
05June201511:23IST
SevenBillionDreams.OnePlanet.Consumewithcare.

EnvironmentMinistersMessageontheOccasionof
WorldEnvironmentDay

Emphasising the need to alter consumption patterns in a manner that more and better can be done with less
resources,MinisterofStateofEnvironment,ForestandClimateChange(IndependentCharge),ShriPrakashJavadekar
has exhorted people to make at least one change in their lives towards a more responsible resource consumption
behaviour,orpractice.InamessageontheoccasionofWorldEnvironmentDayheretoday,ShriJavadekarsaidthat
business, as usual, was no longer an option. The Minister emphasised that every individual has a responsibility in
contributing to protect the environment and reduce the rate of depletion of natural resources. He added that people
couldbecomeagentsofchange,bybeingmoreconsciousoftheenvironmentalconsequencesoftheirpersonalchoices.
Hepointedoutthatbytheyear2050,withanexpectedpopulationof9.6billion,itisestimatedthatthreeplanetswould
beneededtosustainthewaysoflivingandconsumption.ThethemeofthisyearsWorldEnvironmentDayisSeven
BillionDreams.OnePlanet.Consumewithcare.
ShriJavadekaralsourgedtheindustriesandthesocietytoadoptenvironmentallyresponsiblepracticessuchas
theapproachofthreeRsReduce,ReuseandRecycle.Hesaidthatwhilelessthan3%ofthewaterintheworldis
drinkable, one out of seven persons in the world do not have access to drinkable water. Pointing out that dietary
choices and habits affect environment, he said that 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year, while almost 1
billionpeoplegoundernourishedandanother1billiongohungry.Foodsectoraccountsforaround30%oftheworlds
totalenergyconsumptionandaround22%oftotalgreenhousegasemissions,theMinisteradded.
FollowingisthetextofthemessageontheoccasionofWorldEnvironmentDay:
TodaywecelebratetheWorldEnvironmentDay,toraiseawarenessabouttheimportanceofaclean,greenand
healthy environment for human wellbeing and to encourage everyone for taking positive action in addressing
challengingenvironmentalissues.Celebratedeachyearon5thJune,theDaymarkstheopeningoftheUnitedNations
ConferenceonHumanEnvironmentinStockholmin1972.
Thethemethisyear,SevenBillionDreams.OnePlanet.ConsumewithCareisverytopicalandrelevant,asit
remindsusoftheenormousimpactthatourpersonalchoicesanddecisionsindaytodaylivesasconsumers,haveon
environment.Italsoemphasisestheresponsibilityeachoneofushas,incontributingtoprotectingtheenvironmentand
reducingtherateofdepletionofnaturalresources.
Changesinnaturalresourcebaseduetohumanactivitieshavetakenplacemorerapidlyinthepast50yearsthan
at any time in human history, causing continued deterioration of environment. As a result, many of the Earths
ecosystems are nearing critical tipping points of depletion, or irreversible change. By 2050, with the current
consumptionandproductionpatternsandwitharisingpopulationexpectedtoreach9.6billion,itisestimatedthatwe
wouldneedthreeplanetstosustainourwaysoflivingandconsumption.
Wesimplycannotaffordthis,aswehavebutOnlyoneEarth.Ironically,thiswasthethemeforthefirstWorld
Environment Day 42 years ago in 1973. We still have some time to transform the challenges of limited and fast
depleting resources into opportunities that will enhance the quality of life for all, without increasing environmental
degradationandwithoutcompromisingtheresourceneedsoffuturegenerations.
This,however,callsforalteringourconsumptionpatternsinamannerthatwedomoreandbetterwithlessless
ofwater,lessofenergy,andlessofallotherresources.Businessasusualisnolongeranoptionforus.Bybecoming
more conscious of the ecological impact of our actions and environmental consequences of the personal choices we
make,wecanbecomeagentsofchange.
Unsustainablepatternsofconsumptionareoneofthemajorcausesofincreasingenvironmentaldeterioration.

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx 1/3
10/08/2015 SevenBillionDreams.OnePlanet.Consumewithcare.

That we can make a difference through our choices and decisions can be gauged from these facts relating to water,
energyandfood:
Lessthan3%oftheworldswaterisdrinkable,ofwhich2.5%isfrozen.Waterisbeingpollutedfaster
than nature can recycle and purify. More than 1 billion people do not have access to fresh water. Excessive
use/wastageofwaterisleadingtoglobalwaterstress.
Energyconsumptionhasgrownmostrapidlyintransportsector,followedbycommercialandresidential
use.Thecostofrenewableenergyisbecomingincreasinglycompetitive,withthatbeingderivedfromfossil
fuels. We can therefore, shift our consumption patterns with lower energy and material intensity, without
compromisingonthequalityoflife.
Foodsector,duetoenvironmentalimpactinitsproductionphase,accountsforaround30%ofthe
worldstotalenergyconsumptionandaround22%oftotalgreenhousegasemissions.1.3billiontonnesoffood
iswastedeveryyear,whilealmost1billionpeoplegoundernourishedandanother1billion,hungry.Over
consumptionoffoodisdetrimentaltoourhealth,aswellastotheenvironment.Dietarychoicesandhabits,
therefore,affectenvironment.
India has had a long cultural tradition of frugality and simple living in harmony with nature. As a result,
conservationethosisdeeplyingrainedinourpeople.However,unfortunately,thesymbioticrelationshipofmanwith
naturegetsdebilitatedassocietiesdevelop,riskingthewellbeingoffuturegenerations.
Intodaystimes,whenwelookcloselyattherelationshipbetweenpeopleandenvironment,thoughhardtosee
atfirst,wewouldbeabletorecogniseunsustainablebehavioursamongstmostofus.Letustryaskingourselvessome
difficultquestions.
DoIneedeverythingIown?
WhatifIdidnotownthis?
Whataremyrealneeds?
AmIawareofwhatIeat,howitisproducedandhowfarithastravelled?
Ismyhouseenergyefficient?
HowdoIcommutedaily?
DoIknowhowtosaveonwater,electricity,fueletc.?
Whatarethesocialandenvironmentalimpactsofmylifestyle?
WhatcanIdotobemoresustainable?
Goingbythelikelyanswersthatwemaygettothesequestions,wewouldrealisethatweneedtobemuchmore
frugalinthewayweusenaturalresources,whilealsorecognisingthatforus,inclusivegrowthandarapidincreasein
percapitaincomelevelsaredevelopmentimperatives.Inthiscontext,theGovernmentspolicyonZerodefect,Zero
Effecttheprogrammeon100SmartcitiesthecampaignonSwachhBharatandthemissiononNamamiGange
areveryaptandrelevant.
ThechallengeofproductionandconsumptionofenvironmentfriendlygoodsinIndiaishuge.Thiswouldentail
useofrawmaterialswhichareorganic,locallyproducedorenvironmentfriendlyandgreenenergybasedtechnology.
Thoughthereareindicationsthatimpressivechangesaretakingplace,theoutlinedfactorsareyettobeembeddedfully
with the production processes in India. These create two main challenges: firstly, the problem of availability and
acquisitionofgreenrawmaterialandtechnology,whichisacriticalchallengefortheproducersindevelopingcountries
suchasIndia,giventhelowerlevelofresearchanddevelopment(R&D)andissuesarisingfromtransferoftechnology
from other nations. Second, and a more important challenge is the high cost of production of green goods, since the
inputs(rawmaterialandtechnology)invariablycosthigherthantheonesusedfornongreenvariants.
India, like other developing and emerging economies, has a tremendous advantage of knowledge about the
adverse impact of earlier development paradigms and a vast array of new technologies. Significant reductions in
environmentalpressurescanbeachievedbyappropriateprivateandpublicconsumptionpatterns,tosupplementgains
achievedthroughbettertechnologyandimprovedproductionprocesses.
The3RsapproachofReduce,ReuseandRecycleshouldbethecoreofenvironmentallyresponsiblepractices
thattheindustriesandsocietyatlargeshouldimbibe.

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx 2/3
10/08/2015 SevenBillionDreams.OnePlanet.Consumewithcare.

As we celebrate the 2015 World Environment Day, let us pledge to make at least one change in our lives
towardsamoreresponsibleresourceconsumptionbehaviourorpractice.
HowaptwasMahatmaGandhi,whenhesaid,Earthprovidesenoughtosatisfyeverymansneeds,butnotfor
everymansgreed.
Letusreestablishthelinkwithnature,asdidtheancientsinIndiacenturiesago,andtakefromEarthandthe
environmentonlysomuch,asoneputsbackintothem.ThesagesofAtharvaVedachantedintheirhymntoEarth,I
quote:
WhatoftheeIdigout,letthatquicklygrowover
Letmenothitthyvitals,orthyheart.


******
HK

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx 3/3