About LiFE

The genesis of LiFE can be trace back to its unveiling at CoP 26 in Glasgow by the Indian Prime Minister, where it emerged as a beacon of hope—a movement advocating for mindful and deliberate utilization over mindless and destructive consumption and pledge towards pro-plant actions. In the wake of escalating global challenges, the imperative for a transformative shift in our developmental paradigms has never been more pronounced. LiFE is more than a concept; it is a clarion call for a profound reorientation in our individual and collective behaviours, weaving together sustainability, ethics, and wellbeing into the fabric of our economic models. It serves as a comprehensive exploration of the multifaceted dimensions that LiFE encompasses, evolving from a grassroots behavioural movement to a visionary economic paradigm.

The paradigm unfolds the narrative of LiFE's journey, from its roots in India to its embrace by the G20 as a core area for reforming development pathways. It encomapsses the interconnected facets; first, moving towards sustainable consumption and production patterns, second, ethical foundation and value system for LiFE, thirdly, new modalities for systemic transformation, fourth, financing resilient infrastructure, and fifth, innovative approaches to measuring wellbeing beyond GDP. Moreover, the framework expands to underscore the role of LiFE in accelerating the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Indian G20 presidency has taken up LiFE as one of the core areas for reforming the development pathways. The G20 Leaders Declaration emphasised on Mainstreaming Lifestyles for Sustainable Development and endorsed the G20 High-Level Principles (HLPs) on Lifestyles for Sustainable Development, which was adopted in the Development Ministers Working Group meeting at Varanasi. The commitment to sustainable development, outlined in the G20 High-Level Principles on Lifestyles for Sustainable Development, calls for robust collective actions to promote the global adoption of sustainable production and consumption patterns. Specific actions include the active implementation of the G20 High-Level Principles, support through international cooperation and financial aid, encourage International Organisations to incorporate the HLPs into their programmes, and endorsement of initiatives like "Travel for LiFE" emphasise the necessity of collaborative global efforts and supportive policies for attaining a sustainable and environmentally conscious future (G20 Leaders Declaration). Furthermore, Under India's Presidency of G20, a unique task force on LiFE has been constituted under the T20 process- Task Force 3 on LiFE, Resilience and Values for Wellbeing. The Task Force addresses global challenges undermining SDGs, including poverty, food security, health, and wellbeing, emphasising the imperative for strong ethical and sustainability frameworks. Priority areas, which this task force deliberated were Circular Economy, Food Security, One Health, Infrastructure Financing, International Financial Institutions, and going beyond GDP. The Task Force came out with a comprehensive Taskforce statement addressing the contemporary challenges. The task force was also a pioneering effort for giving a multi-disciplinary conceptual framing towards an idea of environmentally conscious lifestyle.