Hariyali Gram Empowering Rural India to Lead the LIFE Movement

In this succinct article, Charu Lata and Akanksha Golchha highlight the transformative Hariyali Gram initiative in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra states in India. Hariyali Gram is a women-led initiative with an emphasis on policy implementation and scalable business solutions for the adoption of climate-friendly solutions at the village level.

- Charu Lata and Akanksha Golchha

India’s ‘Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) Movement,’ announced at COP26 in Glasgow, aims to propagate sustainable lifestyles based on traditions and values of conservation and moderation. Rural women-led programmes in implementing renewable energy and climate-friendly solutions can support the LiFE movement and India’s pledge towards a net zero carbon economy by 2070. Both initiatives are closely interlinked with empowerment of women and communities, focusing on energy security and sustainable consumption and use of resources. As India transitions to fossil-fuel-free sources of energy, distributed renewable energy (DRE)—when energy is generated from renewable energy sources near the point of use, and climate-friendly solutions are vital and can also help support both the LiFE movement and the net zero initiative.

Close to two-thirds of India’s population lives in villages, with uncertain and irregular power grid availability. Distributed renewables can supplement the emerging demand of newly electrified households under the flagship ‘SAUBHAGYA’ scheme and increase reliability of power supply. Distributed renewables can also help these villages electrify, improve livelihoods, and reduce drudgery for women through mechanizing activities or reducing time spent collecting and processing traditional fuels such as wood.