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The manifestos of two major political parties—BJP and Congress—now give more weight to environmental concerns. Gone are the days when election manifestos mentioned only two lines on the environment. Now, they have paragraphs.

 

Experts and policymakers have welcomed the move. However, they say that many such promises are never fulfilled. 

 

Election manifestos represent parties' political standings and are often discussed, debated, and compared during elections. They address various issues, from international policy to jobs, health, and education, and help the electorate make effective decisions.

 

The BJP, which released its 69-page election manifesto last Saturday, has dedicated three pages to environment and climate issues under the section Modi Ki Guarantee for Sustainable Bharat, a far cry from just a paragraph on environment in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections.

 

The word climate change did not even figure in the 1999 and 2004 manifestos of the BJP, currently the world's largest political party.

 

Congress has allotted two pages for environment, climate, disaster management, and water and sanitation-related issues in its 2024 election manifesto.

 

 

 

A 2022 study by the Centre for Policy Research noted that Congress has consistently noted environmental and climate concerns over the last three elections.

 

Key commitments in the BJP's latest manifesto include achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, transitioning to non-fossil fuel energy sources, improving river health, achieving national air quality standards in 60 cities, expanding tree cover, and boosting disaster resilience.

 

Congress has proposed setting up funds for a green transition and achieving the net-zero goal.

 

However, the lack of steps to address and mitigate these issues remains a concern. The BJP manifesto does not address issues raised by ecologists. 

 

Environmental activist and water policy expert Himanshu Thakkar said the UPA government was more transparent in such matters than the NDA government.

 

The BJP government has not done anything noteworthy on 'Namami Gange'; the Aravallis are in a disastrous state. If more of the past happens in the future, it will not help, Thakkar said.

 

Many experts note that despite gaining attention in elections, environmental issues remain secondary to livelihood concerns in the broader political discourse.