MUMBAI,19 OCTOBER, 2021 (GPN): Shri Aditya Thackeray, Hon Minister for Tourism & Environment, GoM said at the Panel Discussion organised by NSE on “Economic opportunity for India to accelerate management of marine & land waste and pollution” today.

We all hear, and the companies listed on NSE realise the fact that climate has changed around us. Last 13 months Mumbai and Maharashtra state has seen three storms, never seen earlier in decades together, massive flooding with rainfall capacity which goes 250 MM. Last three years, Mumbai city has faced more than 3000 MM of rain and heavy downpour damaging agriculture crops, infrastructure housing assets and properties and at times taking a toll on human lives, he said.

All these incidents are only serving us a warning, that we all need to come together and inculcate small Environment friendly habits and live life more in harmony with Environment.

Each of the companies listed on the stock exchanges is aware of the responsibilities and we all – governments, individuals, NGOs need to come together to save future generations from negative impact of the climate change, Shri Thackeray said.

Shri Aditya Thackeray appealed all stakeholders including corporates, NGOs and individuals to inculcate small but significant changes in our day to day habits, in the way we live, to make our lives easier. Saving Water by ensuring water taps are locked when not in use, saving electric power when not required, saving on fuel and adopting clean fuel electric vehicles, will go a long way in mitigating climate change impact.

These small but significant changes in our habits will go a long way in helping governments, corporates and NGOs to mitigate the climate change impact.

We cannot say no to industrialization or manufacturing industries coming into our state. We must accept them. But yes, better discharge standards, emission standard and smaller nuances we can really focus on to make it a habit rather than a movement for us to adhere to climate change. When we start changing our habits, that is where we can make an impact. So in terms of the corporates, I am not saying take the big steps, spend a lot or invest half of your capital change emergencies. If we can make smaller changes in your corporate houses, manufacturing industries, complexes, it will bring the change. Ensure the waste generated in your complex, bldg., households gets segregated was one of the suggestions he gave.

Mumbai Municipal Corporation has managed to reduce daily waste by one third, to 6,500 metric tonnes in span of one and half years from.10,000 metric Tonnes in 2016-17, by taking firm steps urging corporates, housing societies, hotels and restaurants to segregate, manage and dispose their own waste. All these entities contributed about 30 percent of the overall daily waste collections.

Government would encourage any innovation which will help sustainably dispose waste, create value from waste, and help in mitigating climate change

Cyrill Gutsch, Founder and CEO, Parley for the Oceans, said on this occasion, I don’t think you need technology coming into your country and creating a mess because a lot of technologies cause that, I believe that solutions are here. I believe that there is enormous potential of defining the future of materials of consumption of economy in this country.

I started my business at the age of 18 in Germany. Technology allowed me to become a creative director, a strategist, working for the biggest brands, govts or individuals. Our generations can leave a deadly legacy, a dead sea. There is life under water which allows us to take our breaths.

We are facing environmental issues such as climate change, plastic crisis, fishing crisis, economic failures. Failure is not an option now. You need to understand the stakeholders. Plastic in our eyes is a design failure. This material was great when there were less people. Even if we recycle but it is harmful. So many illnesses are caused by it.

Material revolution with the digital revolution. We are consuming and transacting differently. Now it is time for Material revolution. Within the next 12 years, we need to end the old ways of doing the business. We need to get out of toxic and can’t afford it anymore to drive the planet into toxic age. The material revolution means we need to invent our way out of the mess. The old players are too slow.