Although oceans appear limitless, they are not immune to the damage that we cause to them. Every year, tons of waste get dumped in the ocean affecting the quality of the ecosystem and lives of aquatic animals. They are critical to our existence and contribute to balancing nature’s cycles. Keeping this in view, the Ocean Conference was held last month, co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal. It took place at a critical time as the world is walking towards the path of protecting oceans, while addressing problems deep-rooted in our societies that are laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic. Needlessly, they will require major structural transformations and common shared solutions that are anchored in the SDGs. To mobilize action, the Conference will seek to propel much needed science-based innovative solutions aimed at starting a new chapter of global ocean action. We must conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. The overarching theme of the Conference is “Scaling up ocean action based on science and innovation for the implementation of Goal 14: stocktaking, partnerships and solutions-UN. According to the World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Global Climate 2021 report, the world’s oceans in 2021 grew to their warmest and most acidic levels on record. Carbon emissions from human activities are causing and intensifying ocean warming, acidification and oxygen loss, which in turn threatens the survival of the living organisms and ecosystem, and negatively impacts food security, tourism industry and the economy. The science is clear: the ocean — critical to combating climate change; boosting economic growth; and reducing biodiversity loss — is seriously degraded, and if present trends continue, there will be catastrophic consequences for the planet. Heads of the Government and State together with leaders from the private sector, the scientific community and other partners will gather at the Conference to chart a new pathway that would ensure the protection and conservation of the ocean and its resources. Elsie Gabriele, the author in the conference (Image Courtesy: Author) In addition to plenary sessions, there were 8 interactive dialogues focusing on a wide range of ocean issues: from addressing marine pollution to promoting ocean-based economies to increasing scientific knowledge and transfer of marine technology. These dialogues offer individuals and communities opportunities to forge bold commitments to advance ocean action. The official programme was accompanied by four special events focusing on youth, the sustainable blue economy, fresh- and saltwater interlinkages and ocean action at the local and regional level. Youth and Innovation Forum, Cascais, Portugal (24–26 June) The Youth and Innovation Forum is a platform for advancing ocean action and implementing youth-led solutions. It seeks to help young entrepreneurs and innovators scale up their initiatives, projects and ideas through professional training and matchmaking with mentors, investors, the private sector and government officials. Localising Action for the Ocean: Local and Regional Governments Forum, Matosinhos, Portugal (25 June) This program is focused on local and regional governments and other stakeholders to announce new voluntary commitments in support of Ocean Action. The event intends to facilitate a discussion on opportunities and initiatives that can support sustainable adaptation for coastal cities and regions, including financing innovation and scaling up activities related to ocean protection. High-Level Symposium on Water, Lisbon, Portugal (27 June) This Symposium offers a platform that brings together political leaders and decision makers at high authorities dealing with both “fresh” and “salt” water, reflecting on how to better connect these two communities to guarantee an integrated vision of the water cycle. By doing so, the symposium seeks to strengthen the role of water and ocean in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement. Elsie Gabriele interacting with the European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinquevicius, during the clean-up activity of the Carcavelos beach in Oeiras in the last week of June, 2022 for the UN Ocean Conference Portugal (Image Courtesy: Author) Sustainable Blue Economy Investment Forum, Cascais, Portugal (28 June) The forum was an opportunity to establish a common language for a sustainable ocean economy and to explore how to build synergies between integrated Ocean Management Plans, trade finance, marketing and distribution value chains and the private sector. With billions of humans and animals depending upon health of our Oceans, it is imperative to take actions for the ocean. No matter how small or where you are, the ocean is affected by us all, you never know how the plastics from our own backyards and kitchen land up at our oceans. ~ Elsie, reporting from Lisbon About the Author: Elsie Gabriel is the National Coordinator Oceans, The Climate Project Foundation. She is also the Founder of Young Environmentalists Programme Trust.

For the second year in a row, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are not showing any progress. The Sustainable Development Report (SDR) is a global assessment of countries’ progress towards achieving these goals, and this year, India has been placed at 121st rank among 163 countries from where data was available for the rankings. The data for India indicate ‘Stagnating’ trends for 7 of the SDGs including SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), SDG 15 (Life On Land), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The worst trend is for SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) in a ‘Red box’ representing ‘Major challenges’ and a ‘Decreasing’ trend. All indicators for SDG 11 are either decreasing or stagnating. The ones classified as ‘Moderately Improving’ fall under SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), with most placed in ‘Red boxes’ having ‘Major challenges’ towards their realization. No information is available for SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) to indicate trend and is in a box of ‘Significant challenges.’ The two ‘Green’ boxes are SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 13 (Climate Action) with both showing trends of ‘On track or maintaining SDG achievement’. All indicators for SDG 12, including municipal solid waste, electronic waste, plastic waste export, and emissions of SO2 and Nitrogen are ‘Green’ indicating targets on track or already achieved. Similarly for SDG 13, all indicators of CO2 emissions are either on target or SDG is already achieved. The average SDG Index score slightly declined in 2021, partly due to slow or nonexistent recovery in poor and vulnerable countries. Multiple and overlapping health and security crises have led to a reversal in SDG progress. Performance on SDG 1 and 8 remains below pre-pandemic levels in many low-income countries and lower-middle-income countries. This is a major setback, especially considering that before the pandemic, over the period 2015–2019, the world was progressing on the SDGs, with poorer countries making greater gains than rich countries. The 7th edition of the SDR is published exactly fifty years after the release of Limits to Growth and the first UN Conference on the Environment, held in Stockholm in 1972. SDR 2022 comes at a time when the fundamental SDG principles of social inclusion, international cooperation, responsible production and consumption, and universal access to clean energy are being challenged by multiple health, security and climate crises. Although the top ten countries in the SDG Index are all in Europe, the detailed dashboards show that major SDG challenges remain even in these countries, especially on SDGs 12 -15 (related to climate and biodiversity) and in relation to international spillovers. Image Courtesy: Felipe, Pixabay Low-income countries tend to have lower SDG Index scores. This is partly due to the nature of the SDGs, which focus to a large extent on ending extreme poverty and providing access for all to basic services and infrastructure. Overall, East and South Asia has progressed on the SDGs more than any other region since their adoption in 2015, with Bangladesh and Cambodia showing the most progress of all countries. Therefore, India’s ranking is a cause for concern and needs a realignment of policy actions. The achievement of the SDGs is held back by severe financial constraints faced by the developing countries that have further aggravated due to pandemic and the war. The key to achieving the SDGs, besides preserving peace and lowering geopolitical tensions, is having a proper plan to finance them. Ahead of the SDG Summit in September 2023, which is slated to convene at the level of heads of state under the auspices of the UN General Assembly, the SDR 2022 identifies major priorities to restore and accelerate SDG progress towards 2030 and beyond. Source: Sachs, J., Kroll, C., Lafortune, G., Fuller, G., & Woelm, F. (2022). Sustainable Development Report 2022. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. About the Author: Rituraj Phukan is an environmental writer, adventurer & naturalist based out of Assam. He serves as the National Coordinator for Biodiversity, The Climate Project Foundation, and is a member of the IUCN.

The deluge in Assam not a new occurrence as it takes place every year. Assam, an integral part of Northeaster India’s “Seven Sister States” shares common border with Bangladesh and Bhutan, and has influence of diverse cultures and ethnicities. It is also connected to Nepal, China and Burma via West Bengal, Sikkim, Mizoram and Manipur, respectively. With an enormous network of rivers, Assam has been prone to climate havocs like land erosion and floods, marring the developmental activities of the state. The Brahmaputra and Barak rivers have 50 tributaries that act as protagonists in causing flood and erosion desolations during monsoons. However, floods and erosions in Assam are singularly different from those occurring in other states, and are unique, if the magnitude of erosion, and extent and duration of floods are considered. According to RBA, 39.58 percent of Assam’s total land area is prone to floods. In 2022, more than 6 lakhs of people in 500+ villages and 11 districts were affected due to floods, as per Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) report in July. One of our Climate Reality Leaders from Assam, Gaurab Talukdar, whose house was also submerged in water, provided us with real life images of the grim situation. On request, he could get into waist-deep water to capture a few shots to comprehend the scenario and gravity and share with us a portrayal of the flood situations in Assam. Here are some of the shots form his lenses. “Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink.” The pictures remind me of most-used lines of ST Coleridge’s, “The Rime of Ancient Mariner.” The spread of flood water compels me to think about the life of the people, who have lost their dear ones and houses. What they must be going through! The survivors in the affected regions don’t have access to basic things and facilities that they need for leading a life. Let alone food and utility objects, access to drinkable water seems like a far-fetched dream in such scenarios. In the photos shared below, you can see how the need for survival supersedes the need for hygiene and sanitation, health, and happiness. While Gaurab’s family and neighbourhood are trying to get back to normalcy, he recalls the devastation. “It was horrible. Houses are gone. Roads are gone. Farms are gone. Floods shake you from within,” he said. “Wherever you set your eyes, you get to see endless horizons of water; unimaginable pain of people; sufferings; and so much more to be overwhelmed,” he takes a heavy breath. He explains it further, “I mean, you can see people trying their best to cope and get back on their feet at the earliest as they have responsibilities and a vision for their future (however and whatever, it maybe). I’m still in a better position, owing to the geography I live in. But it was unthinkable to figure out what we are left with if we don’t have a life in the first place. What if everything just gets washed away in a whooosh (he waves his hand)? Even if we do, is the life going to be safe and qualitative? We, surely, can’t neglect the health, next to survival, but is that an immediate possibility? Such questions keep hitting you hard.” Early this month, the Centre releasing INR 648.90 crores for disaster assistance to Assam (for the victims of floods and landslides) was in the news. A few days ago this month, the Assam government launched Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) programme to extend rehabilitation grants to the flood victims whose houses were damaged by floods this year. According to the news, a list of flood-damaged houses is prepared that amounts to 2, 04, 348 houses that were either partially or severely damaged. Nevertheless, keeping aside all the temporary solutions and arrangements, its high time that a new perspective is added to the format of mitigation, wherein Sustainability Education should be positioned as the prime driver of long-term solution. Unless and until people are aware and educated about climate change, acts of sustainability, and how to enhance disaster-preparedness, it is going to be a rough walk. We’re set on a journey of empowering people with education. At The Climate Project Foundation (TCPF), we focus on actions that empower our climate reality leaders’ network and societies so they can stand firm and strong in the fight of climate change. We impart sustainability education in different versions, and our projects like Green Campus Program, Teachers’ Training Program, Principals’ Conclave and One Million Fruit Tree Plantation along with focused Workshops & Training Sessions, and Strategic Collaborations, support us in translating our vision into reality. You can get to know more about our initiatives here. However, the devastations due to inundations in Assam (on one hand) and facing extreme sweltering with rising temperatures a few days later (on the other hand), seems quite alarming. Needless to say, we need to gear up and be planet-wiser now, and not shut the eyes to any ray of hope that we witness in the dismal times, even if it shows up in a blink. About the Authors Photos/ Images by Garuab Talukdar Gaurab is a Climate Reality Leader trained during Global Training in 2020. He is bird enthusiast, nature photographer and filmmaker from Assam, India. He has pursued Masters in Economics from Assam University, Silchar, Assam. He has played an active role in human-elephant conflict mitigation programs with communities, providing awareness in schools and wildlife rescues. He is also a Green Hub Fellow (2018), where he learned documentary filmmaking and conservation issues. Written by Smruti S Samantray Smruti is a Climate Reality Leader trained during Global Training in 2015 in New Delhi. She supports sustainability education in every inch, and tries to promote the same at optimum levels, as she firmly believes that it will help mitigating the climate crisis in the most efficient and effective way, while securing future. She has pursued Master’s in Urban Environment Management & Law , National Law University — Delhi and WWF, and Master’s in Mass Communication.

Climate Justice Climate justice refers to the idea that all people should have equal access to the Earth's resources and be protected from the impacts of climate change. It encompasses a wide range of issues, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting vulnerable communities from the effects of climate change, and ensuring that the costs of addressing climate change are shared fairly. Climate justice also includes the protection of human rights, the rights of indigenous peoples, and the rights of future generations. It also addresses issues of social and economic inequality and aims to ensure that the most marginalized and vulnerable communities are not disproportionately affected by climate change. ​ At The Climate Project Foundation, we have adopted Climate Justice as a movement to address inequities with adaptation strategies and long-term mitigation. All our initiatives are strategically built on the ethos of utilizing solutions at hand while optimizing adaptation. To do so, we tag the opportunities of empowerment with our initiatives. Making Maharashtra Villages Water-sufficient The climate change-induced diminishing monsoon is expanding to the drought prone-areas of Maharashtra. The water bodies in the affected parts of Maharashtra continue to recede during the pre-monsoon season, affecting the villagers especially women, who are responsible to fetch water for the daily household chores. Water crisis has forced women in some parts of Maharashtra to walk long distances every day and even risk their lives to fetch drinking water by climbing down deep dried wells. ​ The Climate Project Foundation under the guidance of Col. Shashikant Dalvi (Retd.) took up the task of making the villages in Maharashtra water sufficient through rainwater harvesting technique. The project was initiated in the 4 villages (Koregaon, Kurvandi and Thugaon) of Ambegaon Taluka in Pune district. With the kind support from ICICI, MAPS Industries, Vasundhara Sanvardhan, Pune, member of the Panchayat Samitis, Sarpanch, local officials, village residents and other on-ground partners, we have been able to complete the Rainwater Harvesting project at the four villages of Ambegaon Taluka in October 2021, making them tanker-free. Empowering the Local Communities in Odisha Climate change has led to an increase in the frequency and intensity of the extreme weather events like cyclones, and floods in the coastal states. Odisha, the eastern coastal state of India, witnessed three cyclones in the year 2021. Super cyclones like Yaas caused heavy rainfall, sweeping and damaging the houses, farmlands and uprooting the trees on its way. The cyclones impact lives and livelihoods of lakhs of people especially the poor coastal communities. ​ To help these coastal communities in Odisha, The Climate Project Foundation launched ‘Mission One Million fruit trees’ in 2019. The mission was launched to help the small and marginalised farmers by generating sustainable livelihoods and ensuring food security through plantation of fruit trees. During 2019-2021, 8.30 lakh trees were planted in the Puri district alone. In the long term, the mission would also help in climate change adaptation and mitigation. Climate Change Education in rural districts of Maharashtra The Climate Reality Project India focuses on education and capacity building in a fight against climate change through its Education Programs i.e. Teachers Training Program and Green Campus Program. The Education programs aim at sensitizing the educators and students about climate change impacts and solutions at hand. We prioritize local solutions and empower educational institutes to take climate action. We collaborated with one of the biggest educational societies in Maharashtra, Rayat Shikshan Sanstha with 444 Secondary Schools to take climate change education for deeper engagement in rural districts of Maharashtra. Our Teachers Training Program is being implemented in 50 schools and Green Campus Program in 5 schools from 5 districts (Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Solapur and Pune) of Maharashtra in its first phase. This will ensure that the educational institutions have capacities to teach about climate change and create a green and sustainable environment for students to learn and take the message of sustainability forward through climate actions.

*New Beta Website Under Testing WELCOME TO THE CLIMATE PROJECT FOUNDATION OUR CLIMATE IS CHANGING, SO SHOULD WE | TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE Human caused climate change is one of the biggest, most pervasive threats in the world and South Asia is amongst the most vulnerable region to impacts of climate change. Now, the onus is on us to act and mitigate the impacts of climate change for a better future for the upcoming generations. We believe that the simplest path to act on climate change is by collective committed actions however small. We have strategically aligned all our initiatives in order to create awareness, mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change and create leaders of the future who will be taking the baton fighting the cause. Our programmes and initiatives like Green Campus Program, Tree Plantation, Water Conservation, Teachers’ Training Program, all have been developed keeping the same in view. “Solving the climate crisis is within our grasp, but we need people like you to stand up and act” - AL GORE OUR IMPACTS 11000+ Teachers Trained 1500+ Climate Reality Leaders in India & South Asia 200000+ Trees Planted 45000+ Climate Reality Leaders, Globally NEW STORY COP27: A Choice for Hope A devastating climate crisis, war, and global energy crises have made the UN's COP 27 climate conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt a moment of choice for world leaders this November. ​ The answer cannot be more of the fossil fuels that got us here. ​ Not with countries seeing climate change induced floods, rains, and unprecedented heat waves. Not with Europe on fire and Asia and the Americas slammed by deadly storms. Not with rising temperatures fuelling rising injustice across the Earth. It’s no more an emergency, it is a climate catastrophe, if we do not wake up still. It's time for a new way forward. For world leaders at COP 27 to choose hope over fear and fossil fuels. To accelerate the just transition to clean energy that can stop rising temperatures and build a better world for us all. Now, while we still have time. EVENTS Celebrating World Water Day 2023 Wed, 22 Mar Zoom 22 Mar, 5:00 pm IST Zoom Accelerating change for SDG 6 Details Knowledge Exchange Session with Eco Clubs - Chandigarh Sat, 18 Mar Chandigarh 18 Mar, 9:00 am IST – 19 Mar, 11:00 am IST Chandigarh, PPGQ+4CX, Chandigarh Rd, Near Beckons Hotel, 42C, Sector 42, Chandigarh, 160036, India Details International Youth and Sustainability Festival 2023 Sat, 04 Mar Pune 04 Mar, 12:00 pm IST – 05 Mar, 5:00 pm IST Pune, Symbiosis Knowledge Village, Gram Lavale, Tal Mulshi, Pune, Maharashtra 412115, India Details CLIMATE ACTION STORIES 8800 KILOMETRES ON BIODIESEL By CRL Avinash Narayanswamy Worldwide, biodiesel has slowly but surely gained importance as a green alternative to petroleum diesel & is thus being accepted as an environmentally friendly fuel. However, in spite of closely being related to petroleum diesel in terms of physical & chemical properties, biodiesel continues to be sidelined in many parts of the world & especially in India mainly due to various reasons such as pricing, availability & warranty on the engine & other parts of the car not being covered when switched to biodiesel from petroleum diesel. Read More BLOGS Elsie Gabriel Save Oceans, Protect our Future Although oceans appear limitless, they are not immune to the damage that we cause to them. Every year, tons of waste get dumped in the... Rituraj Phukan SDG Report 2022: Climate Action, One of the Two ‘Green’ Areas for India For the second year in a row, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are not showing any progress. The Sustainable Development Report... Gaurab Talukdar, Smruti S Samantray Tale of Assam Floods Speaks of Deep Scars of Trauma & Sufferings The deluge in Assam not a new occurrence as it takes place every year. Assam, an integral part of Northeaster India’s “Seven Sister... 1 2 3 LEAD ON CLIMATE CHANGE SPREAD THE WORD ON CLIMATE CHANGE Download Truth in 10 Presentation to spread awareness about Climate Change. CALL FOR A PRESENTATION Request a free presentation on Climate Change. STAY UPDATED Read our Bimonthly Newsletter 2022 (NOVEMBER - DECEMBER​)

Tree Plantation One of the best ways to lower the concentration of the greenhouse gases from the atmosphere is to create more carbon sinks. The Climate Reality Project India is supporting India’s NDCs towards the Paris Agreement to achieve sequestration of 2.5 -3 billion tonnes of CO2 from forests and trees by 2030, and thus, collaborating with its partners and the Climate Reality leaders. Mission One Million Fruit Trees In the backdrop of cyclone Fani, 2019 , the Mission Million Fruit Trees was launched. The Climate Reality Project India joined hands with Sustainable Green Initiative(SGI), One Tree Planted and SPARSH Odisha and successfully launched the campaign in August 2019 by the Speaker of Odisha Legislative Assembly in an event attended by thousands of people. The mission will plant at least 1 million fruit trees in Odisha coastal districts, particularly in Puri district, during 2019-2025, in five year time for ensuring food security to small marginal farmers & recovering the green coverages lost due to cyclone and generate employments on for youths on agriculture & horticulture sectors. The Climate Reality Leaders Prafulla Dhal, and Raj Mohan, the implementer of OTP project in India and the Founder of Sustainable Green Initiative are committed to the Mission One Million Fruit Trees in Odisha. Timeline By 15th August 2019, one lakh trees were distributed to the villagers through the NGO networks, which were planted in the fruit hatcheries, backyards of individual households and schools and public places. In 2020, 93 thousand saplings were planted in Puri for community-level resilience and recovery of greenery, local livelihoods and food security. In 2019-2021, the mission has planted 8.30 lakh trees in Puri district. Of these plantations, 2.90 lakh fruit trees have been planted, and 5.40 lakh coastal forest species such as casuarina are planted by the farmers. The important feature of this initiative in these three years of its journey is the emergence of farmer bodies, namely, “Farmer Producer Companies” (FPC) to undertake plantation drives sustainably till 2030. Currently, 15 FPCs have been registered and 7600 farmers have become their members. The mission has an aim to promote a network of 100 FPCs in 7 coastal districts of Odisha, including Puri, by 2030, where 1 lakh farmers should be networked with a commitment of planting at least 100 fruit trees each by 2030, thereby, reaching 10 million fruit trees. Molaikathoni Nursery Project An initiative of The Climate Reality Project India in association with the Forest Man Foundation and the Indigenous People’s Climate Justice Forum ​ The Molaikathoni Nursery Project was conceived by The Climate Reality Project India and is being planned and implemented in collaboration with the Forest Man Foundation and Indigenous People’s Climate Justice Forum. The 1 hectare (approx. 4 bighas) nursery is located on the Arunachapori island in the Majuli district of Assam. ​ The Molaikathoni Nursery Project was initiated in March and officially launched on World Water Day 2022 under the patronship and direction of Jadav ‘Molai’ Payeng, a Padma Shree awardee who is also known as the Forest Man of India. Under the Molaikathoni Nursery Project, a total of 393270 saplings were planted with a survival rate of 68%. Despite the many challenges the project has yielded expected results. Altogether 170000 saplings from the nursery have been replanted as a part of a larger forestation project. ​ The project has provided livelihood to some villagers for several months, directly motivating the communities to participate in conservation of the forest and the wildlife species. Around 40 native saplings and several hundred seeds of Arjuna were planted with the participation of the local community during the observance on the occasion of World Environment Day 2022 under the program. Read the Full Report Mangrove Plantation Mangroves can store up to five times more carbon than the equivalent area of mature tropical forests; acts as a protective biological shield against cyclones and tsunamis, provides livelihood and ecologically sensitive areas. Mangroves plantations are critical to coastal regions. Climate Reality India supported Mr. Raj Mohan, Climate Reality Leader and founder of Sustainable Green Initiative, in planting and distributing 51000 trees and mangroves saplings at Kumirmari island in Sundarbans, West Bengal. This island of Kumirmari still needs about half a million-mangrove.