The concept of green elections in India refers to initiatives and practices aimed at reducing the environmental impact of election campaigns and processes. The environmental footprint of elections is often overlooked. Read here to learn more.
With India being the world’s largest democracy, its election cycles are massive and complex, involving the mobilization of millions of voters, thousands of candidates, and a significant number of resources.
The environmental footprint of these activities, from the use of paper for ballots and promotional materials to the energy consumed during campaign rallies, can be substantial.
In response, there has been a growing emphasis on making elections more sustainable and eco-friendlier.
Green elections: Why is the need?
During the 2016 US presidential election, the carbon footprint of 500 Americans for a year was equal to the emissions from just one candidate’s campaign travels.
- Elections conducted using traditional techniques have a substantial negative impact on the environment and public health due to their use of paper-based materials, energy-intensive rallies, loudspeakers, PVC flex banners, hoardings, and throwaway objects.
- This effect is amplified by the size of the Indian elections, which draw millions of voters and large-scale political gatherings.
- Adopting environmentally friendly procedures at all levels, from campaign materials to election rallies and voting places, is the idea behind green elections.
Green elections are a crucial step towards integrating environmental sustainability with democratic processes.
They reflect a comprehensive approach to addressing the urgent environmental challenges of our time while ensuring that the foundational acts of democracy do not come at the expense of the planet’s health.
- Climate Change Mitigation: Elections, especially in large countries, can have a considerable carbon footprint due to the energy consumed in transporting election materials, powering campaign events, and the general mobilization of people.
- By adopting greener practices, such as using renewable energy sources and minimizing travel through virtual campaigns, the electoral process can contribute to global efforts against climate change.
- Resource Conservation: The shift towards digital campaigning and electronic voting systems can significantly reduce the consumption of paper and other resources. This not only aids in conserving forests and reducing waste but also in promoting more efficient electoral processes.
- Promoting Sustainable Practices: Green elections serve as a model for sustainability, encouraging political parties, candidates, and voters to adopt environmentally responsible behaviours.
- This can have a ripple effect, influencing broader societal attitudes towards sustainability and encouraging more eco-friendly practices in other sectors.
- Public Health: Reducing the environmental impact of elections can also have direct and indirect benefits for public health. For instance, minimizing the use of non-biodegradable materials and reducing air and noise pollution from campaign rallies can contribute to cleaner air and a quieter, more peaceful environment.
- Economic Efficiency: Although there might be initial costs associated with transitioning to green elections, over time, these practices can lead to economic efficiencies.
- Digital campaigns, for example, can be more cost-effective than traditional methods. Moreover, reducing waste and the need for clean-up after elections can also save money for communities and governments.
- Enhancing Democratic Values: Green elections align with the democratic values of responsibility, inclusivity, and foresight. They reflect a commitment to ensuring that the electoral process not only respects the will of the people but also the health of the planet for current and future generations.
Initiatives for Green Elections in India
- Use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs): India has been using EVMs for its national and state elections since 2004. EVMs significantly reduce the need for paper ballots, which not only saves a considerable amount of paper but also speeds up the counting process and reduces the chance of errors.
- Digital Campaigning: Political parties and candidates are increasingly leveraging digital platforms for campaigning to reduce the reliance on physical promotional materials such as banners, posters, and pamphlets. Social media, messaging apps, and digital advertisements are becoming key tools for reaching out to voters.
- Eco-Friendly Materials: There is a growing trend among candidates and political parties to use eco-friendly materials for campaign paraphernalia. This includes cloth banners, biodegradable posters, and other promotional items made from sustainable materials.
- Regulation of Campaign Material: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued guidelines for political parties and candidates to minimize the use of plastics and other non-biodegradable materials in their campaign materials.
- National Green Tribunal (NGT) Guidelines: The NGT has also been proactive in issuing directives aimed at reducing the environmental impact of election campaigns. This includes restrictions on the use of loudspeakers, the timing of rallies to reduce noise pollution, and guidelines on the disposal of campaign materials.
- Voter Awareness: The ECI has been actively promoting voter awareness regarding the environmental impact of elections. This includes encouraging voters to consider environmental policies and practices of parties and candidates as a criterion in their voting decisions.
- Green Protocols: In some states, the ECI has introduced “green protocols” for conducting elections. This includes measures like banning plastic bottles in election meetings, promoting the use of electronic media for campaigning, and ensuring that materials used during the elections are recyclable or biodegradable.
Examples of green elections in India
Kerala: During the 2019 general election, the Kerala State Election Commission took a proactive step by urging political parties to avoid single-use plastic materials during their campaigns.
- The Kerala High Court imposed a ban on flex and non-biodegradable materials in electioneering.
- As an alternative, wall graffiti and paper posters emerged, promoting a more sustainable approach.
- Additionally, government bodies collaborated with the district administration in Thiruvananthapuram to ensure a green election, emphasizing eco-friendly practices.
- Training sessions were also conducted in villages for election workers to raise awareness and promote environmentally conscious behaviour.
Goa: In 2022, the Goa State Biodiversity Board took a significant step by introducing eco-friendly election booths for the Assembly elections.
- These booths were constructed using biodegradable materials meticulously crafted by local traditional artisans from Sattari and Ponda.
- Not only are these materials environmentally friendly, but they also support local artisans.
Why in the news?
In 2023, the Election Commission of India (ECI) voiced its concern over the environmental risks associated with the use of non-biodegradable materials in elections.
- The ECI has been urging โparties and candidates to avoid the use of plastic/polythene for preparation of election material during an election campaign, since 1999โ.
- Given that the conduct of every election results in an avoidable carbon footprint, there is a need for eco-friendly elections, which would be a boost to environmental stewardship alongside civic participation.
- Sri Lanka and Estonia, for instance, have conducted environmentally conscious elections.
- As India, the worldโs most populous democracy, gears up for the next general election, environmental considerations must be prioritised, paving the way for green elections.
With the 2024 general elections around the corner, the ECI is once again vocal about the environmental footprint of elections is often overlooked.
Challenges
While these initiatives represent significant progress toward greener elections, challenges remain.
- The sheer scale of India’s elections, combined with varying levels of awareness and commitment across regions and parties, means that fully implementing green practices is an ongoing process.
- It is imperative to guarantee equitable access to modern technology for all voters. This calls for significant work in terms of educating voters about the new technologies and training election officials.
- Adopting cutting-edge technology and environmentally acceptable materials sometimes has large upfront expenses.
- It is imperative to overcome public scepticism regarding security, privacy, and potential manipulation of electronic voting systems by implementing strong protection and transparency measures.
- It is crucial to make sure voting systems are safe from online attacks. Any concession might damage electoral integrity and public confidence.
Way forward
The move towards green elections in India is a reflection of a broader global recognition of the need to integrate environmental considerations into all aspects of governance and civic engagement.
The journey can begin by enacting appropriate legislation, with the Election Commission of India incorporating these methods in the Model Code of Conduct.
As technology advances and societal awareness increases, future election cycles in India will likely become increasingly sustainable.
Future directions may include enhancing the digital infrastructure to support more extensive online campaigning, further reducing the reliance on physical campaign materials, and developing more comprehensive guidelines and support for eco-friendly election practices.
Conclusion
The need for green elections emerges from an increasing global awareness of the environmental impacts associated with electoral processes and the broader necessity of integrating sustainability into all aspects of governance and societal activities.
Green elections aim to minimize the ecological footprint of electoral campaigns, voting processes, and related activities through the adoption of sustainable practices and technologies.
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- Simultaneous Elections: Will this be good for India?
- Cross-voting in Elections
- Remote voting for migrants
-Article by Swathi Satish
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