7 Indian Ways for Sustainable Development Goals

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today addressed 2nd time in Hindi at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) during its 70th session focusing on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 17 Goals towards 2015 - 2030 for achieving equality in the world. The summit is expected to adopt new sustainable development goals, the sequel to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). The draft agenda has 17 new goals that aim to end poverty, promote prosperity and protect environment by 2030. He stressed on technology facilitation, innovation to contribute a lot to the development of the world. He said renewable energy is significant to sustainable development thus Indian govt. target 175 GW Renewable electricity in the next 7 years, tax on coal, reform of transport, and waste to wealth movement.He pointed out that we see Earth as our mother and world as a family that is embedded in our culture. Thus, when world focus on two sectors: Public and Private we extended it to third sector i.e personal to empower people and fight against poverty that result in development. This means individual enterprise, innovation, a start-up like movement empowering everyone including women. We need a global education system which will guide our next generations to preserve the environment. Today, we at the UN believe that international cooperation is key to the world.

We must talk of climate justice to deal with climate change. Education and skill development is our priority. We want to empower the poor. We worked on financial inclusion in mission mode. Mahatma Gandhi had spoken about caring for a world that we will not see thus sustainability is our focus.We need to change our lifestyles in order to reduce energy dependency. Indian development agenda is mirrored in the SDG of UN. He also spoke about Integral Humanism and contribution of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya towards serving society on his birth anniversary today. He gave emphasis that Indian govt. working on making farmers less vulnerable to the vagaries of nature and development that is sustainable is our responsibility.Highlights of his first speech at the 69th Session of UNGA on 27th Sep., 2014 related to

Sustainable development are as follows: “We must pursue a more stable and inclusive global development... billions live on the edge of poverty and want; There has never been a time when it has seemed more possible than now to change this. Technology has made things possible; the cost of providing it has reduced… you must also believe that development and empowerment can spread with the same speed with a genuine international partnership. At one level, it means a better coordination of policy so that our efforts becomes mutually supportive, not mutually damaging. It also means that when we craft agreements on international trade, we accommodate each other's concerns and interests. When we think of the scale of want in the world - 2.5 billion people without access to basic sanitation; 1.3 billion people without access to electricity; or 1.1 billion people without access to drinking water, we need a more comprehensive and concerted direct international action. In India, the most important aspects of my development agenda are precisely to focus on these issues. The eradication of poverty must remain at the core of the Development Agenda and command our fullest attention… we must seek a more habitable and sustainable world and need to change our lifestyles (Energy not consumed is the cleanest energy)… it will mean that our economies will take on a different character… By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change… Let us fulfill our pledge on a Development Agenda so that there is new hope and belief in us around the world. Let us make also a new watershed for a sustainable world. Let it be the beginning of a new journey together”.

Some acmes of his speeches are:

1. We are trying to think of ways of reducing carbon emissions, but we are not thinking of changing our lifestyle. Unless we bring a change in our lifestyle, we will not be able to save the environment.

2. Why don't we make Sunday cycle day? People may call me an agent of cycle companies. I am saying that only one day a week; don't use fuel-driven vehicles.

3. If we say that on full moon light, we will not switch on the lights, and every household will have a festival of threading needles, can you imagine how much energy we can save if we switch off the streetlights for one day?

4. Some people feel environment and development are on opposite a side, which is wrong. Both can co-exist. There should be some do's and don'ts.

5. There can be green solutions in our age-old traditions.

6. India has a long tradition of recycling, reuse.

7. India has to take the lead ... on ways to combat climate change.