The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Maharashtra government to support its ‘Majhi Vasundhara’ campaign.
The campaign is an initiative about the energy and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.
According to a statement from the UN office, the new partnership between the UN Environment Programme and the Government of Maharashtra will support the state in the implementation of climate change mitigation and adaptation measures.
‘Majhi Vasundhara’ (literally, My Earth) is an initiative of the Government of Maharashtra’s Environment and Climate Change Department to empower citizens with knowledge on the impacts of climate change and environmental issues and to encourage them to make a conscious effort towards improvement of the environment.
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Cabinet Minister of Tourism, Environment and Protocol, Aditya Thackeray, speaking for the government of Maharashtra said, “We should start to consider all possible avenues to get to Net Zero at the earliest. Over the next few months, Maharashtra will evaluate the investment prospects that will be required to steer Maharashtra’s economy towards net zero. We have an imperative to act now.”
UNEP is expected to support the state in educating and mobilising youth on plastic pollution and marine litter through UNEP’s Tide Turner Challenge across all educational institutes in the state of Maharashtra.
Under the partnership, UNEP will support the Maharashtra government on various clean energy initiatives and in its efforts to develop a strategy for carbon-neutral development in line with the Government of India’s vision.
“The time is right for Maharashtra to lead the drive in a clean energy transition with its recent renewable energy policy being an important step,” the UNEP statement said.
Story was adapted from The Economic Times.