CHARTER OF ACTION on Climate Change Mitigation

Friends of Academia and Society (FEAS)

CHARTER OF ACTION on Climate Change Mitigation

Introduction: This is an inescapable fact that the Climate Change is a global problem and a common concern to mankind. GHG emissions contribute to climate change irrespective of their origin and hence all countries will be affected if no action is taken. 

Climate change is likely to impact all natural ecosystems as well as socio-economic systems in India. According to “India’s Ecological Footprint – a business perspectives” published by Ecological Footprint Network and CII,  despite low average consumption per person, because others consumed far more and also of its large population, India has the third largest total Footprint, exceeded only by the United States and China. The United Nations projects that India’s population will reach 1.7 billion by 2050; if this is the case, India will require increased imports from other countries as it cannot support a population that size on domestic bio-capacity alone.

Government of India released India’s first National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) outlining existing and future policies and programs addressing climate mitigation and adaptation on June 30, 2008. The plan running through 2017 emphasizes the overriding priority of maintaining high economic growth rates to raise living standards. The plan “identifies measures that promote our development objectives while also yielding co-benefits for addressing climate change effectively.”   

We at FEAS think that unless all stakeholders including common people make efforts at their respective level, the effect on climate would continue to accelerate and to reduce this trend, the climate change issue must be made a public agenda and a charter of actions is framed spelling out the tasks for each stakeholder singly and jointly, and accepted by all to follow. 

We request all to contribute to develop this charter and therefore suggest actions for the stakeholders. In the following, FEAS has identified the stakeholders only. You may please add other stakeholders as well and give suggestions for the stakeholders. FEAS plans to collate all these and share with all for advocating with all stakeholders to follow.

For Community Members (the following 2 are just example)

• To understand Climate change issues affecting the life and livelihood of individuals

• To undertake social and technical actions to mitigate effect by climate change for improving quality of life

For Civil Society Organisations  (CSOs) and NGOs

For Panchayats / Municipalities

For Financial Institutions / Bankers including Promotional Bankers like NABARD, SIDBI, etc.

For State Government

For Universities and Research Institution 

For Schools /  Colleges

For Media 

For Specific Occupational Groups

For Political Parties  / Trade Unions

For Religious Organisations

Others (pl specify)