Bhubaneswar: On the occasion of ‘International Day of Families’, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik taking to ‘X’ said, “Family is where life begins. Families play a significant role in shaping our personality, instilling values in us and give a strong foundation to build a better society. I am blessed to be part of this 4.5 crore loving family of Odisha.” The ‘International Day of Families’ is observed May 15 every year to celebrate the importance of families and their roles in society. The United Nations adopted it as a resolution in 1994 to raise awareness about the significance of families, highlight the challenges they face, promote the ideals of togetherness, and showcase the efforts that strengthen family units worldwide.
This year, the theme ‘Families and Climate Change’ is aimed at empowering families through education, changing consumption habits, and advocacy that can be critical for meaningful and effective climate action. Families pass values across generations, so instilling sustainable habits and climate awareness in families from an early age is important. Environmentalist SN Patro said, “The celebration aims to raise awareness of how climate change impacts families and the role families that can play in safeguarding climate.
Climate change negatively affects family health and well-being through increased pollution, extreme weather events that displace people, disruptions to agriculture and food systems, and economic impacts. Families contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions through electricity usage, transportation choices, food consumption, and overall consumption patterns.” Ambitious climate action is urgently needed by governments, businesses, and citizens to cut emissions and advance climate justice, Patro added. He also emphasised the need to focus on reducing household CO2 emissions.
ARINDAM GANGULY, OP
