We are on the verge of a disaster: Shende

We are on the verge of a disaster: Shende

PUNE: Presenting an alarming picture of speedy degradation of the environment, Chairman of TERRE Policy Centre Rajendra Shende said that we have to reduce the carbon footprints to save the world. 

Delivering a lecture here on Friday at Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) on the occasion of recently concluded World Environment Day, Shende said, “We have just 12 years to repair the damage and to ensure that the temperature does not grow over 2 degrees Celsius.” 

“We are lagging behind the Sustainable Goals called Agenda 30 which were decided in 2015 and the implementation of it started on January 1, 2016. It was called Agenda 30 as these goals were from 2015 to 2030. We are already in 2019 and only 11 years have left to complete these goals,” he said. 

“All we need to tackle these problems is a strategy, government help, corporate hand, focused efforts, partnership and the civil society participation,” he said adding that these 17 goals that include poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, clean energies, peace, justice and strong institutions among others. 

“All these are inter-related. Apparently, the Millennium Goals set for 2000-2015 had only nine goals, 24 target areas and 67 indicators while Sustainable Goals from 2016-2030 has 17 goals, 169 targets and 244 indicators,” he added.

“There were seven million deaths every year due to air pollution but we are ignorant of this fact and keep enjoying our ride in a car or spend summers under air conditioners,” he said.

Shende further added, “We have had the budget of 3,000 gigatonnes (GT) carbon emission of which have used 2,100 and thus had remained only with 900 Co2 emissions. We need to control this otherwise, we are on the verge of disaster. To tackle this issue we need to plant a tree, need to use our brains in a more focused manner,” he said.

IITM Director Ravi Shankar Nanjundiah and other staff members were present.

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