‘Only One Earth’ is the slogan for World Environment Day 2022 which focuses on living sustainably in harmony with nature.

Caritas Institute of Development Action and Learning (CIDAL) and the Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change (INECC) collaborated to organize a webinar on 06^th June 2022 to commemorate the World Environment Day to achieve eco-friendly living for ecosystem restoration. The webinar was attended by 146 participants from across Asia.

The increasing degradation has led to an imbalance in the land-water-plant-human-animal system and caused ecological imbalance and economic insecurity. It is high time that we re-set the lost equation among the living beings and bring back the diseased earth back to its state of harmony and peace. Restoration efforts should be started from home by promoting cleanliness, waste management, tree plantation, natural farming and healthy living. Healthy nature and rich biodiversity yield greater benefits such as more fertile soils, clean water, rich biomass etc.

“Only One Earth is an alarming call to take care of our mother earth,” said Fr. (Dr.) Paul Moonjely, the Executive Director, Caritas India with his vast experiences in Ecosystem conservation. He shared, “our collective imperative demands the conservation of the natural resources for the future generations, if not, they will struggle to live on this earth.”

Fr Paul informed that this year we have initiated the action “Each One Plant One” and many have joined hands with us in this campaign. We hope to plant 1 million plants this year. We are having the Lenten Campaign on Carbon fasting through all our parishes in all 174 Dioceses. Pope Francis said “To care for peace in the community” and we need to take this message very seriously.  Father Paul also spoke about promoting Community Carbon Collectives as the organisation is celebrating 60 years of its existence. Thinking in terms of new initiative called “Community Carbon Collective” to disseminate the knowledge on Carbon footprint, and carbon sequestration.

Mr. Zar Gomez, Regional Coordinator of Caritas Asia said, Caritas Asia, has been working to promote climate justice and climate resilience through building the capacities of its 25 Member Organisations in Asia. He said that the theme selected by UNEP for the World Environment Day “Only One Earth” is a caution to humanity and it’s high time for each one of us to take care of our mother earth.

“The average per capita carbon footprint globally is around 5-ton CO₂ but for India, this value is around 2 ton CO₂ which is actually in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement,” said Dr. Priyadarshini Karve, Director of Samuchit Enviro-Tech, a social enterprise promoting sustainable products and services. However, the picture is different if we look at the per capita carbon footprint of urban India i.e. cities which are the main contributors to India’s total greenhouse gas emissions. While the role of government and big businesses is crucial to addressing climate change, individual action can provide the necessary impetus to policymakers in the governance structure and decision-makers in the business world.  She shared about the Carbon Footprint Calculator to measure personal carbon footprint and also shared about individual steps to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels.

Ms G. Clare Westwood, the Regional Director of the Episcopal Commission for Creation Justice of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei and also the Co-Chair of the Laudato Si’ Action Platform – ASIA shared the key takeaways from IPCC AR6 WG II report. She informed about Atmospheric Co2 concentration and the maximum safety limit for healthy life on earth is 350 ppm which we permanently crossed in 1988 and in February 2022 we hit 420 ppm. Sharing about the Indian heatwave, she informed that the average maximum temperature over northwest and central India for April 2022 was the highest in 122 years and it is more likely to increase.

The India projection of IPCC at 1.5, 2.0 and 4.0 degrees Celsius global warming are unimaginable with drought, heat waves, and natural calamity.  The cumulative scientific evidence is unequivocal: Climate change is a threat to human well-being and planetary health. Any further delay in concerted anticipatory global action on adaptation and mitigation will rapidly close the window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all.  She said 3 to 4 billion people could face chronic water scarcity at 2°C and 4°C of warming, respectively. Less water from snowmelt, glaciers, groundwater and streamflow. By 2050, environmentally critical streamflow is projected to be affected in 42% to 79% of the world’s watersheds.

Sharing the statistical data, she informed us that the rain will be 40% less or more. Water-related hazards such as droughts, floods, and marine heatwaves have affected the productivity of all agricultural and fishery sectors, with negative consequences for food security and livelihoods. 44% of all disaster events have been flood-related since the 1970s. Climate change is an existential risk. “What is the worst that can happen, and what must we do to prevent it?”. To avert what looks to be an inevitable existential event requires an enormous commitment of resources comparable to a wartime economy with a single-minded focus on climate policy…it also requires a major change in the way society works.

Fr. Kiran Medipalli Director, Khamman DSSS in Telangana shared about Padma Shree Dr. Ramayya’s efforts in planting more than 2 crore trees in Khammam. Fr. Kiran shared about his social forestry initiatives and how he planted more than 100 thousand saplings in and around Khammam. He is known for planting more than 2 crore plants. Since childhood, he used to collect saplings of native trees and later converted several barren lands into fruitful cultivable fields. His story is motivational for many to learn and follow his footstep in conserving the ecosystem through an individual effort.

Mr. Ghanshyam Jethwa, HOD, Programs, Caritas India moderated the open forum in the webinar and said “different approaches to those who contribute to the problem and the victims enable them to equip”