G20 environment group starts meeting with beach clean-up

The purpose of beach clean-up event was to raise awareness about the impact of marine waste on environment and encourage people to take steps to prevent this.

MUMBAI: The third meeting of the Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG), which is taking place in Mumbai from May 21 to 23, kicked off on Sunday. Taking place under the aegis of India’s G20 Presidency, the meeting is a critical step in fostering the efforts of the G20 countries, invitee countries, and international organisations towards a sustainable and resilient future.

Union Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav along with Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and G20 delegates during the G20 beach cleanup drive, at Juhu beach in Mumbai, India, on Sunday, May 21, 2023 (Hindustan Times)

The first event was a G20 Mega Beach Clean-Up organised at Juhu Beach followed by the Ocean 20 Dialogue aimed at promoting a sustainable and climate-resilient Blue Economy. The Ocean 20 platform, launched during the Indonesia Presidency Dialogue, aims at advance ideation and action for ocean solutions. Panel discussions were held on topics related to emerging technologies to facilitate sustainability in the maritime domain, ocean governance, building capacities to facilitate sustainable ocean practices and equitable distribution of benefits from the traditional and new blue economy sectors.

G20 delegates and a clutch of politicians, including union minister for environment, forest and climate change Bhupender Yadav, governor Ramesh Bais, chief minister Eknath Shinde, union minister of state for environment Ashwini Kumar Choubey, tourism minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, and minister and union environment secretary Leena Nandan participated in the beach clean-up. While Yadav thanked all those who had joined the campaign and took a pledge to clean up the ocean, Shinde remarked, “If every citizen gives one minute to the environment per day, it will be a big relief from global warming and climate change.”

The purpose of the beach clean-up event was to raise awareness about the impact of marine waste on the environment and encourage people to take steps to prevent this. The importance of individual efforts and community participation in mitigating this environmental challenge was highlighted through this event.

The selfie point on the beach was the biggest attraction, followed by the stall showcasing items made of recycled plastic such as benches and car dustbins. The plastic waste collected from Juhu Beach was recycled, using machines placed on the beach to enhance awareness.

Renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created captivating sand art on the beach aligned with the event’s theme, featuring the G20 logo along with Prakriti, the mascot for LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment). Also on display were 100 paintings by schoolchildren on the theme of coastal and marine pollution, which had been selected from around 5,900 entries across the country. The dignitaries participated in the clean-up activities, wrote on the pledge wall and appreciated the paintings.

The concept of LiFE or ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ promoted by the Indian G20 Presidency was a key factor in defining the success of the event. LiFE is a concept that promotes changes in individual behaviour to tackle environmental issues effectively. It encourages community stakeholders to incorporate climate-positive practices in their day-to-day lives to help collectively save the environment.