Lok Sabha Question No. 69 (STARRED), answered on 2021-02-05
Subject: Sustainable Development
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Pritam Gopinath Munde

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMTE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO . 69

TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.02.2021

## Sustainable Development

## *69. DR. PRITAM GOPINATH RAO MUNDE

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST AND CLIMTE CHANGE be pleased to State:

- (a) Whether  the  United  Nations  Environment  Programme  (UNEP)  has  set  up  global environment agenda for sustainable development;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) Whether the Government is aware of the challenges in the 2030 Agenda to develop and enhance integrated approaches to sustainable development;
- (d) if so, the steps taken/ proposed to be taken to tackle these challenges;
- (e) Whether  there is a need  for strengthening various institutions for the judicious management of the environment; and
- (f) if so, the steps taken by the Union Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

(a) to (f): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## Statement referred to in parts (a) to (f) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 69 due for reply on 05/02/2021 regarding 'Sustainable Development' by Dr. PritamGopinath Rao Munde, Hon'ble Member of Parliament

(a) & (b) - The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the global environmental authority that supports the global environmental agenda and promotes the coherent implementation  of  the  environmental  dimension  of  sustainable  development  within  the United Nations system.

UNEP  hosts  several  environmental  conventions,  secretariats  of  many  critical  multilateral environmental agreements and research bodies and inter-agency coordinating bodies. These include the following:

- The convention on Biological Diversity
- The  convention  on  International  Trade  in  Endangered  Species  of  Wild  Fauna  and Flora
- The Minamata Convention on Mercury
- The Basel , Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
- The Vienna Convention for the Protection of Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol
- The Convention on Migratory Species

(c) to (f)-The United Nations General Assembly adopted the document titled 'Transforming our  World:  the  2030  Agenda  for  Sustainable  Development'  consisting  of  17  Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and associated 169 targets for the period 2015-2030. The SDGs are  a  comprehensive  list  of  global  goals  integrating  social,  economic  and  environmental dimensions of development. The SDGs and its associated targets are deeply interconnected, and several of them relate to the environment, particularly the targets under SDG-12(Ensure sustainable  consumption  and  production  patterns),  SDG-13(Take  urgent  action  to  combat climate change and its impacts), SDG-14 (Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine  resources)  and  SDG-15(Protect,  restore  and  promote  sustainable  use  of  terrestrial ecosystems,  sustainably  manage  forests,  combat  desertification,  and  halt  and  reverse  land degradation and halt biodiversity loss).

The  performance  of  India  to  achieve  SDG  Goals  is  a  leading  performance  in  the comity of nations. India has fast tracked renewable energy program and 90GW of renewable energy installed , it has achieved 37% of energy capacity mix. Food security is implemented by providing wheat at Rs.2per kg and rice at Rs.3 to almost 80 crore people of India. The nation  has  brought  out  a  New  Education  Policy  after  gap  of  34  years.  NEP  is  being implemented to ensure gender equity and for providing giving quality education to all. India has  brought  271  million  people  out  of  poverty  in  the  last  10  years  as  declared  by  UNDP (Global  Multidimensional  Poverty  Index).  The  large  network  of  Wellness  centres  and  the Janaushadhicentres and the program of Ayushmaan Bharat targeting a population of nearly 50 crores with the Ujjawala scheme providing LPG cylinders to nearly 8 crore women have all been put in place to ensure a healthy lives and promote well being. 10 crore toilets were made which achieved the target of Open Defecation free in 95% districts.Nal se Jal scheme is launched  to  provide  portable  tap  water  to  Indian  households.  India  is  moving  towards  5 trillion  economy  for  empowerment  of  poor.  Promotion  of  development in  115  aspirational districts is being targeted to reduce inequality in the country. Smart cities mission has been launched to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe and sustainable. Adoption of Paris agreement along with reduction in the emissions intensity of GDP by 33 to 35 percent by 2030 from 2005 level is done to ensure meeting the Climate Change Objectives. Further the country's forest  cover has improved as per the latest data in the Indian State of Forest Report (2019).

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), after a series of consultations with stakeholders, has developed a National Indicator Framework (NIF) with identified data sources and periodicity taking into account the national priorities and needs, which will be used for tracking the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals.

NITI Aayog has published the SDG India Index to track progress of all the States and UTs with respect to SDGs and ranks the states/UTs on a scale of 0 to 100 based on their performance.

The Government of India is committed towards sustainable management of environment.  Each  ministry  is  strengthening  its  own  institutions  and  also  inter-ministerial coordination for delivering the outputs required for sustainable development.

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