Living The Change We Need

As India grapples with rising pollution, extreme weather, and mounting waste, environmental action is no longer a distant policy concern—it is an everyday necessity. While governments and industries play a critical role in setting direction and enabling systems, lasting environmental change cannot happen without active citizen participation.

A green resolution is about making conscious, consistent choices to reduce environmental harm. This philosophy lies at the heart of Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), which promotes environmentally responsible behaviour as a way of life. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the global carbon emissions could fall by up to 20 per cent if just one in every eight people worldwide adopts environmentally friendly behaviours in their daily lives. Some of the most impactful green resolutions which can be adopted include:

* Responsible consumption: The culture of overconsumption - fuelled by fast fashion, excessive packaging, and disposable products drives waste and emissions. Choosing sustainable products and prioritising repairing, reusing, and repurposing over frequent replacement directly supports circular economy principles. Choosing goods with recycled content, recognised eco-labels, and refill options can shift markets and influence how industries design, produce, and manage products. Governments, in turn, must reinforce this shift through standards, eco-labelling, and incentives for sustainable production. Public procurement policies and fiscal incentives can play a key role in scaling such markets.

* Waste segregation at source: This is another simple yet transformative resolution. Segregating waste at homes, offices, and campuses enables recycling and composting, reduces landfill pressure, and improves resource recovery. This requires citizen participation, but also strong municipal systems, door-to-door collection, and enforcement to ensure segregated waste is not mixed downstream.

* Energy-efficient living: Switching to energy-efficient appliances, practising mindful electricity use, setting air conditioners at 24°C, and adopting rooftop solar where feasible can significantly cut emissions and electricity costs. Government schemes that promote energy efficiency and decentralised renewables make these choices more accessible.

* Sustainable mobility choice: Using public transport, cycling, carpooling, or walking—can sharply reduce urban emissions. Choosing CNG or electric vehicles over petrol and diesel helps promote cleaner transportation. These are most effective when governments continue to invest in cycling-friendly pathways, charging infrastructure, and efficient public transport systems.

* Water stewardship: Use water-efficient fixtures, harvest rainwater, reuse greywater, and practise mindful consumption. These efforts need to be complemented by improved water management and conservation policies.

* Reducing plastic and e-waste: Despite regulations, single-use plastics remain widespread. Small actions like carrying reusable bags and bottles, repairing electronics, and handing over e-waste to authorised recyclers prevent waste generation.

Green resolutions extend beyond personal habits to civic engagement and social responsibilities. Environmental action must be rooted in equity and inclusion, with a focus on climate justice and just transition for all. This means protecting vulnerable communities while ensuring that the benefits of clean energy, safer living conditions, and green jobs are shared equitably and inclusively. Ultimately, green resolutions are about intent and consistency. By embracing green resolutions, people can turn sustainability from a slogan into a shared national practice, helping define a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient India.

Views expressed are personal. The writer is a retired IAS officer and former Special Secretary at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change