Environmental, Social Justice & Governance Initiatives
Alternative sources of energy like solar is the way ahead but going forward in this realm requires a need to understand that mega power plants spanning thousands of acres, commissioned by converting habitable lands may not be the right way to do it. Solar plants can coexist with farming, animal rearing and other rural livelihoods. It just needs more dialogue and local people’s participation to suit the local landscapes.
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ESG conducted an interactive day-long workshop on Human-Centred Approach to Planning and Decision Making of Mega Projects For Students of Srishti School of Design
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22nd April 2022 will be the 52nd year since the observation of Earth Day. A day that marked the birth of the modern environment movement across the West. Earth Day in the 1990s became a global call for action drawing attention of the world to the developing environmental crisis as a fallout of the Rio Summit 1992. Now we are enduring climate change impacts. The IPCC report 2022 warns if global carbon emissions are not reduced substantially, heat and humidity will surpass human tolerance and this can seriously impact human health and the economy.
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ESG invited representatives from neighbourhoods and apartments located within the Subramanyapura Lake watershed for a planning meeting to create the Subramanyapura Lake Protection Committee, on 31st March 2022. This was for ensuring the protection of the lake for health and ecological benefits.
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The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has issued an office memorandum on the 10th of March to constitute a committee to promote women-centric policies, programs and interventions in the RE sector. The memorandum claims that the MNRE under its various schemes and programmes, has been encouraging participation of women in RE sector and mentions a recent online session held on ‘Women in Renewable Energy (RE): Call for Action’ that was organized to acknowledge the role of women entrepreneurs and leaders in the Renewable energy Sector and to discuss the way forward. The ministry acknowledges the comments and feedback received on possible interventions to further increase participation of women in the RE growth story.
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The war is also a reminder for the urgent need for stringent international control necessary in the use of thermobaric, cluster and nuclear weapons, owing to the brutality and highest dangers arising from the use of these inhuman tools of mass destruction.
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Steps to be undertaken for implementing directions of the Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka
in WP 817/2008 c/w WP 38401/2014 PILs
Directs Authorities to Address Deficiencies in the Integrated Management Plan for Wise Use of Loktak Lake, particularly in the Absence of a “Brief Document” as required per the Wetland Rules, 2017
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In December 2021, ESG organised an experiential learning certificate course “Environmental Justice: Visiting Different Social and Ecological Landscapes and Areas of Environmental Contestations in Karnataka, India” for 28 students from O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat.
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Panel Discussion chaired by Dr. Ravindra A. Speaker: Anjali Karol Mohan. Discussant: Leo Saldhana, ESG
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Excerpt – ESG invites you to join a movement to save and rejuvenate each and every lake, pond, well, every stretch of raja Kaluve, everywhere across Karnataka from encroachment, degradation, pollution and decay. Lakes/tanks are gifts we have received from the past which we must pass on in a better state for the benefit of future generations. If we work collectively, it is possible to make Karnataka a water, food and biodiversity secure region that also builds healthy and sustainable livelihoods.
Read moreಸುಬ್ರಹ್ಮಣ್ಯಪುರ ಕೆರೆಯನ್ನು ಸ್ಥಳೀಯ ಗ್ರಾಮಸ್ಥರು ಕೆರೆ ಎಂದು ಕರೆಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದು, ಬಹಳ ಹಿಂದೆಯೇ ಇಲ್ಲಿಂದ ನೀರು ಕುಡಿಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಈಗ ಅದು ಮೋರಿಯಂತಾಗಿದೆ. ಕೆರೆಯನ್ನು ರಿಯಲ್ ಎಸ್ಟೇಟ್ ಆಗಿ ಕಬಳಿಸುವ
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The Make Bengaluru Climate Friendly – A Blueprint for Integrated, Participatory and Inclusive Urban Governance was evolved by the Environment Support Group, with deeply engaged participation from key representatives of multiple sectors: from the governments, academia, media, civil society, trade unions, vulnerable communities, etc.
Read moreThe All Saints Church, a 152-year-old heritage structure is under threat as construction for the Benglaluru metro is set to begin in its premises.
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The All Saints Church congregation and the wide public came together on 28th November demanding the 150-year-old heritage church be protected from a concrete station box which Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) proposes to build by destroying the biodiversity-rich sacred grove. Steps for emergency acquisition of the grove were initiated by Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB). This section of the Metro is financed by the European Investment Bank. Besides destroying the biodiversity-rich garden, which foregrounds the heritage Church, it is a space used for all church gatherings. Besides, students of Arpana Special School and residents of the Old Age Home run by the church use this space every day. Cutting soil, uprooting 150-200 years old trees, digging deep, blasting and construction activities merely 20 meters from the fragile church could result in its collapse.
Read more“In response to the aforesaid notification inviting public comments on the Draft Regulations on Extended Producer Responsibility under the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, please find enclosed our detailed comments and objections.
Given the enormous impacts of plastic on public health and the environment, we believe that every last producer in the chain, including petrochemical corporations, should be held accountable under any EPR regime. However, not only have petrochemical corporations been completely let off the hook, the proposed regulations fail to define the very subject of the regulations – “plastic packaging” and “EPR Targets”. This will undoubtedly make efforts to ensure compliance incredibly difficult, if not impossible.”
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The project involved creating a network of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) – a form of self organised local parastatal and outside the representative Panchayat Raj institutional network. The project thus sidestepped the mandate of the 11th Schedule of the Constitution which requires “agriculture including agriculture extension” to be governed through Panchayats. There was no extensive debate or discussion in launching the project, even in the State Assembly.
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Leo Saldhana from ESG questions CM BS Bommai’s statement that ground reality across ghats is different from satellite images, explains the seriousness of the issue.
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The undersigned fervently appeal to you to immediately intervene and protect this amazing garden and historic church from certain ruin and destruction. Such a decision will also send a global message that the Government of Karnataka builds public utilities like Namma Metro by safeguarding sacred spaces, and without destroying living heritage and very few biodiversity rich spaces that still remain in the metropolis.
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Leo Saldhana in conversation with Revathi Rajeevan of New 18 on the recent flooding in North Bengaluru
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“Despite its obvious failures to step up to the grave impacts of climate change the world is now suffering from, the conservative view is that “it is better than letting the effort slide, just as the UN-sanctioned circus of the COPs is better than leaving the world without any such forum at all”.
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Leo Saldhana from ESG joins Tanvi Shukla from Mirrow Now On The Urban Debate.
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The 26th Conference of Parties (COP) of UN Climate Change Conference, hosted by the UK in partnership with Italy, will take place from 31 October to 12 November 2021 in Glasgow, UK. There simply could not have been a more divided world in which such a critical global summit is organised, especially given that decisions taken here have planetary implications. Following the collapse of the 25th COP held in Madrid, and no COP in 2020 due to COVID pandemic, much hope rested on taking forward a global pact to address climate change and its challenges in this year’s effort.
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” This Diwali Don’t Burn Your Money, instead help ESG do more to advance environmental and social justice. “
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The Coalition for Environmental Justice in India and a broad array of environmental and community rights activists had also rejected both the Report and the draft Policy. CEJI again categorically demands that the MOEFCC withdraw the proposed amendments.
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