UPSC EDITORIAL ANALYSIS : Restoring earth’s right to ‘good health’
Kartavya Desk Staff
Source: The Hindu
• Prelims: Current events of international importance, G20, Global south, UNFPA, SDG, Article 14, Article 21, World Meteorological Organization, International Mother Earth Day, NDC,
• Mains GS Paper II & III: Bilateral, regional and global grouping and agreements involving India or affecting India’s interests.
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
• The European Court of Human Rights found the Government of Switzerland guilty of violating the rights of a group of women senior citizens of a Swiss civil society group called KlimaSeniorinnen. The government’s actions to curb emissions were inadequate and had failed to protect women against the impacts of climate change.
• The government’s actions to curb emissions were inadequate and had failed to protect women against the impacts of climate change.
INSIGHTS ON THE ISSUE
Context
Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs):
• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015.
• A universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
• It is a set of 17 SDGs which recognize that action in one area will affect outcomes in others and that development must balance social, economic, and environmental sustainability.
• Countries have committed to prioritizing progress for those who are furthest behind.
• The SDGs are designed to end poverty, hunger, AIDS, and discrimination against women.
• The SDGs framework sets targets for 231 unique indicators across 17 SDG goals related to economic development, social welfare and environmental sustainability, to be met by 2030.
• The United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: It consists of 17 Goals and 169 targets as a plan of action for ‘people’, ‘the planet’, and ‘prosperity’.
• The resolution specifies mechanisms for the monitoring, review, and reporting of progress as a measure of accountability towards the people.
• Member-states submit a Voluntary National Review (VNR) to the UN’s High Level Political Forum (HLPF)
• VLRs is a means for driving and reporting local implementation of SDGs at the sub-national and city levels.
The Supreme Court of India:
• It ruled that people have a right ‘to be free from the adverse impacts of climate change’. Citing Articles 14 (equality before law and the equal protection of laws) and 21 (right to life and personal liberty) of the Indian Constitution as the sources.
• Citing Articles 14 (equality before law and the equal protection of laws) and 21 (right to life and personal liberty) of the Indian Constitution as the sources.
Impact of the Court’s observation:
• By bringing the impacts of climate change within the purview of constitutional fundamental rights. It paves the way for legal accountability of climate action.
• It paves the way for legal accountability of climate action.
• The observation has the potential to accelerate climate action both on the demand and supply side. Demand side: By invoking a more rights-based approach to climate action. Supply side: by encouraging integrated approaches and action between government, private sector and civil society.
• Demand side: By invoking a more rights-based approach to climate action.
• Supply side: by encouraging integrated approaches and action between government, private sector and civil society.
• It will lead to the adoption of an overarching regulation on climate change. It takes forward the policy-driven approach of climate action in India couched in the National and State Action Plans on Climate Change.
• It takes forward the policy-driven approach of climate action in India couched in the National and State Action Plans on Climate Change.
• It has the intended benefits of enhancing state capacities by driving allocation of funds, functions and functionaries.
• Report by the London School of Economics and Political Science: It analyzed climate change framework laws across 60 countries. They have helped establish the strategic direction for national policies that go beyond meeting targets under global environmental conventions. This includes countries from: Global North such as Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Finland and South Korea Global South such as South Africa and the Philippines.
• They have helped establish the strategic direction for national policies that go beyond meeting targets under global environmental conventions.
• This includes countries from: Global North such as Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Finland and South Korea Global South such as South Africa and the Philippines.
• Global North such as Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Finland and South Korea
• Global South such as South Africa and the Philippines.
Impact of these laws:
• These laws have resulted in increased public sector staffing and capacity to deliver climate action including a significant expansion in public sector resourcing.
• including a significant expansion in public sector resourcing.
• A framework law can help strengthen climate governance by building effective institutional frameworks and processes, enabling more ambitious climate action.
• It has the potential to provide for a more stringent and distributed accountability, and promote the exchange of knowledge and ideas.
• A forum that enables the sharing of best practices on implementation of policies can build coherence in policies and actions between States and Union Territories.
#### SDGs and localisation model:
#### ● India’s localisation model for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): It has successfully integrated the SDGs into local-level planning through multi-tiered and multi-stakeholder processes.
#### ● States and territories take ownership by creating their own SDG road maps and monitoring systems.
#### ○ Friendly competition among them spurs innovation and faster progress.
#### ● To ensure effective implementation, capacities of local governments are built.
#### ● The model encourages broader participation from businesses, non-governmental organizations, and citizens.
#### ○ This has resulted in a more efficient and collaborative approach to achieve the SDGs.
#### ● It can build inter-ministerial and inter-sectoral approaches:
#### ○ Example: One Health initiative: It brought together 13 Ministries and departments in the domains of health, environment, science and technology for disease control, research, and pandemic preparedness.
#### ● There is a need to expand this approach to the private sector on integrating a rights-based approach to climate action in their core operations.
#### ○ For example: the circular economy approaches need to engage with human rights compliant supply chains, including reverse logistics, to have a truly transformative impact.
The State of the Global Climate Report(WMO):
• It reveals that most climate change indicators reached record levels in 2023.
• It confirmed 2023 to be the hottest year since we started recording global temperatures.
• Records were broken for ocean heat, sea level rise, Antarctic Sea ice loss and glacier retreat.
India and Climate Change:
• India has made rapid strides in decoupling emissions from economic growth.
• India has achieved two of its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets: Reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33% to 35% from 2005 level Achieving 40% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel sources.
• Reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33% to 35% from 2005 level
• Achieving 40% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel sources.
Vulnerability to climate change:
• More than 80% of its population lives in districts that are at risk of climate-induced disasters.
• Rising temperatures and natural disasters are manifesting into major crises. It affects livelihoods and food security It exacerbates existing socio-economic inequalities.
• It affects livelihoods and food security
• It exacerbates existing socio-economic inequalities.
Way Forward
#### ■ Rights-based dialogue: This pathway can leverage the court’s observation to empower citizen groups and civil society organizations in fostering a rights-based dialogue on environment, biodiversity and climate action.
#### ■ Within the ambit of environmental policy, it can build consensus on overcoming potential tensions between climate mitigation and action.
• Balancing conservation of the habitat of the Great Indian Bustard, a critically endangered bird species
• With developing solar energy parks to meet the country’s renewable energy targets.
• The idea of ‘Mother’ Earth has been embedded in India’s culture and traditions for centuries, regarding nature as a ‘living’ entity rather than just a resource.
• The Madras High Court(2022): A case on changing the classification of forest land, declared ‘Mother Nature’ a ‘living being’, granting it the status of a legal person with all corresponding rights, duties and liabilities, in order to preserve and conserve it.
QUESTION FOR PRACTICE
What is an Integrated Farming System ? How is it helpful to small and marginal farmers in India?(UPSC 2022) (200 WORDS, 10 MARKS)