3Rs of Food Waste: Reduce, Rescue, and Redistribute A Couple in Malaysia Takes Innovative Action

Around the world, more than enough food is produced to feed the global population—but as many as 811 million people still go hungry, as per Sustainable Development Goal 2, Zero Hunger. After steadily declining for a decade, world hunger is on the rise again, affecting 9.9 per cent of people globally. From 2019 to 2020, the number of undernourished people grew by as many as 161 million, a crisis driven largely by conflict, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic, as per Action Against Hunger’s International Nutrition Security Policy. In this regard, Anita Khuller writes about a couple in Malaysia that started the What a Waste (WaW) initiative in 2018 to reduce food waste and poverty hunger.

Road To Contain Climate Change

In this article, Mr S Sundar and Mr Sharif Qamar say that roads and railways bind a nation and bring people together. They facilitate the achievement of SDGs, as without adequate mobility, SDGs cannot be achieved and sustained.

Impact Of Cruise Industry And Sea Vessels

In this article, Saurabh Somani gives us an overview of the major drawbacks and problems due to lack of awareness and international laws for large cruise vessels on oceans. As the tourism industry continues to vouch for cruise industry branding and promotion, the impact is evident as its influence on nature is evident in the form of climate change and unconditional weather conditions that the world is currently witnessing.

Any Baggage around Everything Genetically Modified!

Being a biotechnologist is fun when the discussion is just about lac operon, cosmid vectors, growing some organ in a lab or what it's like to be in tomorrow's business but not when I am asked why people are averse towards genetically modified food.

Sustainable Future for India

L&T Finance Raises its First ₹200 Crore Sustainability Linked Rupee Loan

Reporting Hope

For some years, we have been ringing the alarm bells on species that are fast disappearing. And rightly so, since awareness and realization may lead to turning the tide on tragedy. From early 2022, TerraGreen decided to forage for occasional stories of hope and happiness, also. Here is the second in the series from Benita Sen.

MGC's Mission: To Build and Secure a Sustainable Future

Dr Girija K Bharat is the Founder-Director of Mu Gamma Consultants Private Limited (MGC). Here, she is in an exclusive conversation with us for TerraGreen.

Pets

Great Stress Busters

Organic Farming in Sikkim

Sikkim became India's first '100 per cent organic' state in 2016. All farming in Sikkim is carried out without the use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides, providing access to safer food choices and making agriculture a more environment-friendly activity. In this article, Onam Vaid says that to make the organic plan a success, Sikkim has brought all farmers on board by assuring them that organic produce would fetch higher prices. Certified organic farming requires stringent annual inspections by qualified inspectors from accredited certification bodies.

Offshore Finally Makes Headway in India

In this article, Sapna Gopal says despite India taking time to foray into offshore wind, the country is finally ready to take the plunge. Industry experts too agree that the time is right for it to do so.

Nature's Dangers

The natural world is the most beautiful and wondrous thing to explore, but it must be respected at all times. This is not just to protect the delicate balance of nature, but also because it can be a dangerous place, filled with unforgiving climates, harsh landscapes, and deadly creatures. All of these can be avoided with the help of expert knowledge and proper planning, though the same cannot be said for natural disasters.

Cultivation of Marketable Mushroom

This article has been written by Neha Upadhyay (co-authored by Aarti Rajput, Sonam Angmo, Eshey Tundup, and Nawang Gyalchan), under the project “Solar technology for post-harvest processes and sustainable agriculture for income enhancement of tribal communities living in Cold Desert Region of Ladakh Kargil" under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.

Exposure to Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

A new study finds that exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) —a large and diverse group of industrial chemicals found in many everyday products—is associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes in midlife women.

Green and Growth Hand-in-Hand

In this article, Biba Jasmine says it is clear that a country can only progress if it develops and grows in all possible areas, especially poverty, hunger, education, and environment. India has shown the rest of the world that it is possible to improve human development and the environment on a global scale while helping millions of marginalized people through development efforts. It has also been recognized and accepted that sustainable development requires protection of the environment on all fronts, especially irreplaceable natural resources and fragile ecosystems.

Commitment to Green Sustainability

From the year 2000 till date, Industree Foundation has come a long way in promoting sustainable value chains. Targeting energy conservation, best practices, and training on natural resource management is implemented in the field to ensure the sustainability of the resources through community engagement. While sharing the positive socio-economic impact on every stakeholder that lies therein, Industree Foundation is aligning itself with the energy conservation aspects in parallel. Read on to know more...

Planet In Crisis - Trying To Find Right Solutions To Fight Climate Change

Dr Rina Mukherji reviews Amitav Ghosh’s book The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis.

Biodiversity And Ecosystems - Financing The Future

In this article, Namita Vikas opines that the world needs a significant investment to tackle the interlinked crises of climate, biodiversity, and land degradation. Research has shown this figure to be $8.1 trillion by 2050, with an annual global investment of $536 billion. An enabling ecosystem to foster partnerships between grassroots stakeholders, policymakers, and the private sector, can help biodiversity and ecosystem-oriented adaptation finance to flourish.

Climate Consequences - If India Sneezes

As 2022 starts, India faces the combined challenges of the COVID-19 and the climate crisis. Yet, India continues to fight the pandemic and climate change, as demonstrated by heroic efforts by public health offiers and strong climate commitments. Given these commitments, 2022 is a critical year for implementation in India and around the world. As the warning goes, “when Paris sneezes, Europe catches a cold,” the same is true for India and the rest of the world when it comes to climate change. Read on to know more in this article by Anjali Jaiswal, M Joshi, and S Kwatra.

IFAT India - Environmental Solutions for India

Nearing a decade IFAT India has been a hub for the environmental technology community, translating the passion of India’s game changers and leading environmentalists to bring holistic, sustainable solutions to pressing environmental issues and create a cleaner, greener, and more

“The Moment to Accelerate the Energy Transition is Now!”

‘A quicker and more equitable energy transition is in reach—not only for high-income countries where carbon reduction is the priority, but also for the developing and emerging world where a green energy transition can expand inclusive economic opportunities and provide access to energy that powers job creation and boosts livelihoods for hundreds of millions of low-income people.’ This is the view of the newly launched Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP). As the world reflects on the commitments made in Glasgow and looks ahead to Sharm El-Sheikh where the Conference of Parties will meet again, it is clear that unprecedented partnerships and bold commitments with rapid follow-through are needed if the world hopes to achieve the Paris Agreement. The clock is ticking. An analysis by the GEAPP made clear that while energy poor countries contribute to 25 per cent of global CO2 emissions, their share of global emissions could grow to 75 per cent by 2050. Yet these countries currently receive just 20 per cent of clean energy financing, despite representing nearly half of the world’s population. In 2009, at COP15 in Copenhagen, wealthy countries agreed to scale-up their level of support to mobilize $100 billion per year by 2020, but this climate finance pledge has not been realized. The continued underinvestment in developing countries’ energy transitions is due to myriad reasons and international investors point to investment, off-taker, foreign exchange, and contract risks, among other challenges in the enabling environments of emerging markets’ renewable energy sectors. The Alliance’s view is that these issues can be addressed. To learn more about the GEAPP’s vision and mission for 2022 and beyond, we asked Sundaa Bridgett-Jones, Chief Partnerships & Advocacy Officer, five questions.

Towards a Resilient Planet - Through Public Health

The public health field is growingly being recognized in climate change policy. In this article, Drishya Pathak, Komal Mittal, and Philo Magdalene A, say that there is a need for developing interdisciplinary public health frameworks to reduce the vulnerabilities to climate change. A welldefined public health framework would redress the social and environmental determinants of health and allow offiials to build strategies and programmes to aid communities to acquire knowledge of climate resilience and prepare them for the health effects of climate change.

Save Soil Movement - A Race to Save the Planet

For all of Hollywood’s apocalyptic hyperbole, turns out reality is much more terrifying than celluloid doomsday fantasies. A silent catastrophe is unfolding across the globe: Soil extinction. The alarmingly rapid deterioration of cultivable soil could lead to massive species extinction, trigger global food and water shortage and set off unimaginable conflicts and suffering for humanity. This is not an ecological challenge but a very real existential threat to humanity. The Save Soil Movement is a global race against time to avert soil extinction.

Making India's Infrastructure Climate-Ready - What We Can Do

In this article, Shreya Wadhawan and Abinash Mohanty discuss the ways in which India can climate-proof its infrastructures. They feel that any further delay in climate-proofing of infrastructure will further risk lives, livelihood, and economies. Climate-proofing infrastructure against the impacts of changing climate scenarios is vital to prevent decades of development from collapsing.

Sustainability and Businesses - An Ecological Conundrum

In this article, Arghadeep Das highlights the potential of the private sector in enterprising green growth and their crucial role in helping address pressing environmental challenges.

Financing Climate Action in India - Priorities and Reflections on COP26 by Indian States

In this article, Rana Pujari says that finance will catalyse acceleration of ambitious climate actions in the global south and India could lead the way for the world

Responsible Business Action - Must Be Taken to Avert Environmental Crisis

In this article, Ryan Pathak says plastic pollution is engulfing our planet and concrete steps such as raising awareness must be taken and business companies should be held accountable. Company employees, including those in executive positions, must be educated on environmental issues, counting the consequences of their company’s decisions, including its carbon footprint. Businesses must have appropriate external entities that impose putting stricter restrictions on their actions, increasing their duty to be accountable.

Proposed National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Well-being - Glimpses from the Bio-economy Programme

In this article, Nandan Nawn dwells on the proposed national mission on biodiversity and human well-being and says that even with a clear scientific base, able and committed scientists, and assured State support, it may take several decades to marshal the gigantic effort—in the nature of a ‘social movement’—to restore and sustain Nature for augmenting and sustaining human well-being in India.

Humans for Earth - Finding the Voice of the Ordinary

In the words of Lord Robert Baden- Powell—“Try and leave this world a little better than you found it and when your turn comes to die, you can die happy feeling that at any rate, you have not wasted your time but have done your best.”

Fostering Sustainable and Resilient Agro-Food Futures in India

Manish Anand says adaptive measures need to be taken in India to achieve sustainable food security in the wake of threats posed by climate change. Further, there is a need to strengthen the capacity and tools to diagnose the challenges and map out integrated long-term strategies bringing coherence across the different dimensions of land-use, food systems, and climate change impacts.

Fostering Community-based Conservation in Nagaland, Northeast India

In this article, Siddharth Edake highlights TERI’s project titled “A Tradition in Transition: Understanding the Role of Shifting Cultivation for Sustainable Development in North East India” that is envisaged to gather wisdom pertaining to traditional agriculture in the form of shifting cultivation in Northeast India, providing useful knowledge and lessons so that traditional practices and knowledge will contribute to sustainable development in India and beyond.