Srinagar: Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday said the youth will lead the world in offering pragmatic solutions on climate change and other global challenges of the 21st century.
Sinha was addressing the inaugural session of the Youth-20 (Y20) Consultation on ‘Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction: Making Sustainability a Way of Life’ at the University of Kashmir here.
The Y20 meet witnessed youth delegates from across the world take part in several panel discussions on global climate change.
Speaking on the occasion, Sinha said, “I believe the young generation will synergize innovative ideas and actions to preserve natural resources and also become stakeholders in policymaking for sustainable development.”
He said the vision of India’s G20 presidency focuses on shared responsibility to tackle two great challenges — protecting the climate and promoting sustainable development.
“As one family, we need to nurture the Earth that sustains life and commit (ourselves) to inclusive development to transform the lives of the common man,” he added.
According to an official press release, the LG while welcoming the national and international delegates said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear to the global family that climate change cannot be fought from conference tables alone; it has to be fought from the dinner tables in every home.
“Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi has called upon the global community to transform the effort of tackling climate challenge into a mass movement and promote an environmentally conscious lifestyle. I firmly believe under the leadership of PM, India will guide the world in building a sustainable society that will both be an economic powerhouse and a major contributor in restoring the delicate balance of nature,” the LG said.
“By adopting ‘Green Growth’ as one of the seven key priorities (Saptarshi), the Prime Minister has shown the world that India stands firm on its resolve to achieve the goal of Zero Carbon Emission by 2070,” he added.
On the occasion, the LG also highlighted the values and principles as enshrined in the ancient Indian scriptures on sustainable living and environmental protection.
“Sustainable living is the Indian way of life. Long before the global community realized the importance of sustainable living, our forefathers dedicated ‘Prithvi Sukta’ in ‘Atharvaveda’ to mother Earth highlighting its resources and urging the people to utilize them in a sustainable manner. Thousands of years before the term sustainable lifestyle was popularized across the globe, ‘Yajurveda’ mentioned about harmonious living with earth, water, trees and prioritizing the use of natural resources,” the LG said.
The LG emphasised that the vision of “our forefathers was not merely ideas confined to the books but were focused on action from the community as every ancient Indian scripture calls for selfless act.
“We must adopt a balanced and holistic approach between development and nature to manage the challenges of accelerated growth and ecological sustainability. Our rights on natural resources are not absolute, it is temporary. This thinking should become part of our daily habit to ensure a prosperous earth for our future generations,” he further added.
The LG also reiterated the UT government’s commitment to support sustainable development and lead the action against climate change.
Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to LG, in his address, called upon the youth and other stakeholders to join the efforts in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Prof Nilofer Khan, Vice Chancellor, University of Kashmir; Pankaj Kumar Singh, Director, Department of Youth Affairs, GoI; Prof Manzoor Shah, Y20 Chair, Kashmir University; Guru Prakash Paswan, senior faculty, Patna University and Akash Jha, Secretary Programs & Logistics, Y20 India also spoke on the occasion and impressed upon the youth to raise awareness and exchange ideas on the most pressing global issues.
On the occasion, the LG inaugurated the Y20 Exhibition and released the Y-20 Chronicle of the University about the run-up activities to the event.
Y20 and U20 integration, a joint initiative by the respective engagement groups for Jan Bhagidari was also launched.
Delegates and panelists from various countries and from across India, prominent citizens, senior officials, youth representatives, students, and scholars were present.
Earlier, Robert Pal, Director of Restoration at Montana Technological University, said the world needs to promptly mitigate the ill effects of climate change in order to save the glaciers.
Citing the example of the disappearing glaciers in the national parks in Montana in the US, Pal was quoted as saying by PTI: “It had over a 100 glaciers. Now, there are 10 left. We don’t want that situation… Snow melting very quickly will make our lives much harder. Hopefully, we still have a future and we can save the glaciers and restore the areas that can sustain human wellbeing.”
He added that the rapid melting of snow can lead to the flourishing of invasive plant species, thus affecting the native plant biodiversity.
Pal hopes that the event will propel the global conversation on climate change, he said when asked about his expectations from the Y20 event,
Julius F, a Nigeria-based Ph.D. scholar in natural language processing, said there is a need to act early owing to the rising rate of emissions due to rapid globalization and industrialization.
The ongoing Y20 consultation can help sensitize youths on the need for climate management through daily activities that often start from one’s home, he said.
“I am looking forward to carrying the message of this conference to other youths and encouraging them in contributing to climate management,” Julius told PTI.
Daria, a delegate from Russia, said the concerns around climate change only keep growing.
“If we don’t take action right now, it will have a negative and detrimental effect on our environment,” she said.
The Y20 Consultation brings together young leaders from G20 countries to discuss and debate global challenges. (With additional inputs from PTI)
