A vehicle for green recovery

The COVID-19 outbreak is not just an economic but a humanitarian and environmental crisis. This has impeded India's contribution towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that were put forth in 2015 with an objective to eradicate poverty, safeguard the planet and ensure peace and prosperity for all by 2030. Moreover, the response to climate change has also lost traction globally with the postponement of the Conference of Parties (COP26) to 2021. Strategies need to be devised across sectors that will make India's economic recovery sustainable and climate-proof. However, devising such effective green strategies as the economy recovers would also demand one to assess how “greenness” is defined and measured, as that remains woefully unaddressed at present.