G20 Mega Beach Clean Up Campaign held under G20 India 2023

G20 Mega Beach Clean Up Campaign: It is an initiative undertaken as part of the G20 summit, aimed at addressing marine pollution and promoting the preservation of coastal ecosystems. It involves organized efforts to clean up and raise awareness about the importance of maintaining clean beaches. G20 Mega Beach Clean Up Campaign is also important for UPSC Prelims Exam and UPSC Mains Exam (GS Paper 2- International Relations; GS Paper 3- Environment and Ecology).

G20 Mega Beach Clean Up Campaign in News

Shri Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, as well as Labour and Employment, actively took part in the G20 Mega Beach Clean Up campaign recently held at Juhu Beach in Mumbai. Shri Yadav administered the pledge on keeping our oceans clean and healthy as part of the G20 Mega Beach Clean Up campaign .

G20 Mega Beach Clean Up Campaign Details

The G20 Mega Beach Clean Up Campaign event served as a platform to emphasize the global dedication towards the conservation of coastal and marine ecosystems.

• Objective: The purpose of the Mega Beach Clean Up event was to sensitize and raise awareness about the impact of marine waste on the environment and encourage the people to take action for preventing the same.
  • The importance of individual efforts and community participation in mitigating this environmental challenge was highlighted through this event.
• Venue: G20 Mega Beach Clean Up Campaign 2023 was organized at 37 locations across the country.
• Part of G20 India 3^rd ECSWG Meet: The Mega Beach Clean Up event kicked off the third meeting of the Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group meeting which is taking place in Mumbai from 21st to 23rd of May, 2023.

G20 Mega Beach Clean Up Campaign Participation

Under the G20 India Presidency, the G20 Mega Beach Clean Up event saw extensive engagement from G20 nations, invitee countries, state government officials, international organizations, and delegates attending the 3rd ECSWG meeting.

• Internationally, the event saw an enthusiastic participation of 20 countries-
  • Argentina, Australia, Canada, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States of America being the 14 G20 countries and
  • The 6 invitee  countries being  Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman and Singapore.
• In India, all across the 13 coastal states and 9 Union Territories clean up activities were held in  beaches.

G20 Mega Beach Clean Up Campaign Activities

The event witnessed a remarkable demonstration of ‘Jan Bhagidari’ (public participation), making it one of the most significant displays under the Indian G20 Presidency. All stakeholders actively participated in the event, further enhancing its significance.

• The selfie point on the beach was of a great attraction, followed by the stall showcasing the recycled items from plastic. The stall showcased items like the benches, car dustbins, and more such items made out of recycled plastic.
  • The plastic waste collected from Juhu beach was recycled, using recycling machines kept at the beach, to enhance awareness.
• The dignitaries participated in  the clean-up activities, wrote on the pledge wall and appreciated the display of the paintings by the school children.
• The renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created captivating sand art on the beach aligned with the event’s theme, featuring the G20 logo along with Prakriti, the mascot for LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment).
• The paintings displayed were from around 5900 school students  across the country who participated in an art competition on the theme of coastal and marine pollution and the top 100 paintings were selected and showcased at the meeting venue.

G20 Mega Beach Clean Up, Part of LiFE Movement

The concept of LiFE or ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ – promoted by the Indian Presidency was a key factor in defining the success of the event.

• LiFE is a concept that promotes changes in individual behaviour to tackle environmental issues effectively.
• It encourages community stakeholders to incorporate climate-positive practices in their day-to-day lives to help collectively save the environment.

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