Economy Middle East speaks with Sadhguru, founder of Save Soil about the significance of COP28. Sadhguru highlights the positive global narrative being currently formed with the aid of COP28.
It is crucial that governments take action through policies and incentives to mitigate the climate-related crises the world is currently facing. Sadhguru calls on individuals to push their governments to create strong government policies that confront the climate crisis.
Economy Middle East: What’s your impression about being in such an important event taking place here in the Middle East and what have you seen so far from the world community gathered all in one place to discuss the climate issue?
Sadhguru: We must understand that COP is a place where we set narratives. Solutions can only happen when individual governments act. But this is a global narrative that is trying to set the direction in which we should move. In that sense, I think COP28 is very significant because instead of just talking about carbon dioxide in the air, we are for the first time talking about agriculture. We are addressing soil, farmer life, food security, peace and health, and other issues that matter to human life on the planet.
So, this is a very good shift. We can talk about peace, but as you know, incidents of violence and war keep happening. However, the important thing is that 40 percent of climate mitigation can be done just by addressing agriculture and soil quality or soil regeneration. Fortunately, we have taken that important turn in this COP28, which we’ve been striving for, for over thirty years.
I’ve been working on this. At last, it’s taking that turn and that is fantastic. Still, a lot of work needs to be done, but this is how human beings work. We think about something, then we talk about it. We agree and disagree upon something, and the few things we agree upon, we slowly invest our emotions in. Then we invest our money, resources, and time.
This is how the world works, unfortunately, that’s how we work. However, everybody must be on board, otherwise, no global activity will happen. Therefore, my only concern is whether these things will happen or not but this is not the question anymore. All the climate mitigation action will happen.
The only big question is, will we do it on time or will we wait for a disaster to propel us?
It’s my wish that we must do it without going towards a disaster. Before disaster strikes, we should have made the correction. I want to be that generation who is not stupid enough to walk into a disaster and then correct themselves. We correct ourselves and mitigate the disaster. That’s my wish and I hope we get there.
Economy Middle East: To avoid this disaster, we are here at COP 28 where world leaders, communities, scientists, and bigger communities are involved. What is your personal advice to individuals, to every individual on this earth to participate and to avoid disaster?
Sadhguru: Individuals can do many little things. However, right now we reached a point, particularly with soil degeneration, where unless there are strong government policies, considering the fragility of the former economy, and incentive-based policies, we can’t fix this. We’re talking about five billion hectares of agricultural land. We are not talking about individual kitchen gardens.
Consequently, government policies are needed in any government, particularly democratically elected governments. Unless people express a clear desire that this is what we want, governments will not do it. Governments are not elected to do fantastic things. Governments are elected to fulfill people’s mandates.
People have to give that mandate. That is the effort we’ve been making with Save Soil. We seek to move billions of people so that once people say we want it, governments will have no choice but to do it.
About Sadhguru
Sadhguru, founder of Save Soil is a yogi, mystic, and visionary. He is one of the most influential people of our time. Over the past four decades, Sadhguru has offered the technologies of well-being to millions of people across the world through his foundations, which are supported by over 16 million volunteers worldwide. He has launched mega ecological initiatives like Project GreenHands, Rally for Rivers, and Cauvery Calling to address the urgent need to increase green cover, revitalize Indian rivers, and restore soil health.
Sadhguru has been invited by various UN and international agencies including the UN, UNE, UNEP, IUCN, UNCCD and WEF to discuss global solutions to the world’s ecological issues.
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