Educating people about climate change

Educating people about climate change

Article:

1. Sohini Mitra, Bengaluru-based market research professional, discussed the climate change and its impact in reshaping human lives.

Important facts:

2. Climate Change has the potential to disrupt and reshape lives.  It can impact the health, livelihoods and lives of their families.

3. The UN Sustainable Goals Report, 2018 pointed out that climate change is among the key factors in rising hunger and human displacement.

4. The World Health Organisation estimates that climate change will cause an additional 250,000 deaths per year between 2030 and 2050, due to malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heart stress.

5. Much of this loss will be accounted for by low-income groups in developing nations, including India.

6. According to the World Bank, climate change could cost India 2.8% of its GDP, and diminish living standards for nearly half the country’s population, in the next 3 decades.

7. Several initiatives have been implemented to create awareness about climate change such as:

Supreme Court directives:

• In 1991, the Supreme Court directed the Central government and all State governments to provide compulsory environmental education to all students in schools and colleges.
• This directive was reiterated in 2003 (M.C Mehta v. Union of India).
• These initiatives target urban and rural populations.
• Corporate organisations, research and education institutes, NGOs and foundations have also committed themselves to create awareness about climate change.

8. Hurdles:

• Most of the nation’s plans for vulnerable populations and finds little space for climate change in their planning strategy.
• Presently, climate change does not find specific mention in Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013.

9. Way ahead:

• Climate change must receive greater prominence because the lives of a large number of populations are at risk.
• Need to amend Schedule VII of the Constitution to include climate change as an area for investment.
• Scaling up current initiatives of the corporate and social sectors to regional or national levels.
• The National CSR Data Portal reports corporate spends on environment, animal welfare and conservation of resources to be ₹801 crore in 2014-15 and ₹912 crore in 2015-16.
• The film industry could consider ways to incorporate key aspects of climate change in films.
• It is need of the hour to educate and equip both rural and urban communities to build resilience against natural disaster, adapt to environmental changes, and manage potential risk.