Climate change is an urgent issue that requires collective efforts from every individual and community across the globe. It has made life much more unpredictable with each passing year, with heatwaves in spring, coastal lands bracing against storms, cities flooding, and crops drying. 

India, a country with a population of over 1.4 billion, is no exception to this climate crisis. To combat this crisis, the Indian government has pledged to meet net-zero targets by 2070. However, meeting this target requires government policies and resilient local networks that take small yet significant actions towards sustainability.

‘Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) Movement’ by the Indian government aims to leverage the traditional way of community living and caring for the environment to achieve sustainability in India. The initiative believes there is strength in a community caring for each other and the environment. LiFE aims to link sustainability with community living by fostering a greater understanding of environmental responsibility.

Sustainability Through Food Practices

One such example of a simple act is our daily diets. Most Indian families have meat-free, plant-based meals often during the week. Thali, a lunch course comprising all nutrients required for a healthy body, has curried seasonal vegetables, lentils, and roti made of grains, rice, curd, salad, and pickle. This traditional way of eating promotes good health and minimizes the carbon footprint.

Traditionally our grandmothers would buy grains during the harvest season for the whole year. Farmers will dry them out in the sun, and we will mix camphor oil to protect them against insects and other diseases. Similarly, seasonal fruits and berries will be preserved by making achars that will last for the whole year.

Indian festivals also have a strong connection with seasonal foods as they are usually celebrated during a specific time of the year that coincides with the harvest season of crops. These festivals have traditional dishes prepared using locally available, seasonal ingredients, reflecting the significance of sustainability and local food systems.

Circular Economy & Sharing Culture

Fabrics are repurposed and passed down for generations. The curtains are stitched from old sarees, other old clothes repurposed as a duster, shopping bags, kitchen towels and more. In cities, we still exchange old clothes, newspapers and books for new utensils from scrap dealers who sell to lower-income families at the local Sunday market. We now call this Circular Economy a system that has been traditional to Indian households for a long time. We value the clothes passed down to us by our grandparents and parents and only wear them on special occasions. Growing up, many of us studied from books our neighbours and cousins handed down. A big part of sustainability is sharing, and Indian culture believes in sharing food, clothes, books, furniture, stories and traditions.

In India, a “fix it” attitude is often inherited due to poverty, low wages, and living in joint families. They repaired household items such as fridges, computers, and fans until they could no longer be fixed. Even when an article was beyond repair, they would dismantle it and keep some parts that could be sold, recycled, or reused. Wasting was not an acceptable practice, and even kitchen waste was repurposed to feed street animals or composted for gardening.

Sunday markets in India are popular local markets where people resell old and used items, such as clothes, household items, and electronics.

Embracing the old ways of life can bring immense joy, whether shopping at a local market, riding a bus, cooking meals to share with friends, or using kitchen waste as manure for a thriving garden. By tapping into our heritage and culture, we can connect more deeply with nature and feel a sense of belonging to a community. Sustainable living isn’t just about optimizing our lives to save resources but also minimizing consumerism to benefit the planet and its inhabitants.

Local vendors provide an opportunity for sustainable living by promoting local and seasonal produce.

Sustainable living aims to foster a greater understanding of environmental responsibility. By being mindful of our impact on the planet, we can work towards serving humanity and the rest of nature better. Through small everyday choices and actions, we can make a difference and contribute to a more sustainable future for generations.

It is imperative to link sustainability with community living. There lies strength in a community that cares for each other and the environment.