Why pollution is everyone's problem
I have long believed that pollution — whether in the air we breathe or the waste that litters our oceans and streets — cannot be solved by governments alone. The recent piece in The Economic Times, "View: Pollution and solution are collective matters" captures this plainly: policy, technology, industry behaviour and everyday civic habits all intersect to create the problem and therefore must intersect to create the solution View: Pollution and solution are collective matters.
My own writing over the years has pushed the same point: solutions need data, incentives and participation. I have previously recommended creating granular emission inventories and using behaviourally informed incentives to promote recycling and cleaner choices Centre Sets Up Panel / Pollution Solution and advocated pragmatic measures to discourage single-use plastics while encouraging recycling businesses Discourage Plastics : Encourage Greed.
Two headline examples: urban air and plastic waste
Urban air pollution. Cities such as Delhi experience chronic high particulate levels. The sources are many: vehicles, construction dust, industry, biomass and seasonal crop burning. The result is higher mortality, reduced productivity and rising healthcare costs — a societal burden that affects the poorest most.
Plastic waste. Single-use plastics, multi-layer packaging and weak collection systems lead to leakage into rivers and oceans, harming ecosystems and livelihoods. Plastic is not only an environmental problem; it is an economic and social one.
Both problems are multilayered and transboundary: pollution emitted in one place affects people elsewhere. That makes the case for coordinated, multi-stakeholder responses.
Principles for collective solutions
- Shared accountability: Public authorities must set and enforce standards; industry must internalise environmental costs; citizens must adopt sustainable behaviours.
- Data-driven interventions: High-resolution monitoring and source apportionment guide prioritisation and measure impact.
- Incentives not only sanctions: Positive economic incentives (subsidies, tax relief, green procurement) amplify compliance, while well-targeted penalties deter non-compliance.
- Technology plus social design: Clean tech matters, but adoption accelerates when policies and behavioural nudges align.
Actionable solutions — what works at each level
National and regional policy
- Strengthen emission standards and harmonise them across regions to avoid leakage. Implement time-bound targets and transparent progress reporting.
- Use Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastics: require manufacturers to finance collection, recycling and safe disposal.
- Introduce targeted Pigovian charges (e.g., fuel, landfill) paired with recycling credits and subsidies for circular-economy investments.
City and municipal measures
- Build granular emission inventories and deploy dense sensor networks to identify hotspots and track interventions in real time. This has proven value in prioritising action and communicating risk to citizens.
- Invest in public transport, zero-emission buses, last-mile connectivity and smart traffic management to reduce vehicle dependence.
- Support local circular-economy hubs — formalise and scale waste collection, sorting and small-scale recyclers with microfinance and technical assistance.
Industry and technology
- Require transparent supply-chain disclosures for high-impact sectors. Encourage cleaner production through mandatory audits and incentives for process upgrades.
- Scale promising technologies: electrification of transport, low-emission construction practices (dust control, enclosed cutting), and validated waste-to-value solutions for organic and plastic waste.
- Invest in modular recycling and chemical recycling where mechanical recycling is not feasible, while guarding against false solutions.
Individual and community actions
- Adopt simple habits: reduce single-use items, segregate waste at source, use public transport or shared mobility when feasible, and support local recycling initiatives.
- Participate in citizen monitoring and public consultations. Local data collection and community-led clean-ups build social norms and pressure for systemic change.
Financing and governance
- Mobilise blended finance: public grants to de-risk green projects can unlock private capital for large infrastructure (waste processing, public transport electrification).
- Create multi-stakeholder governance platforms (city-region-industry-civil society) to align incentives, pool resources and arbitrate trade-offs.
Measurable targets and accountability
Set clear KPIs: percent reduction in PM2.5, tonnes of plastic diverted from landfills/oceans, public-transport modal share, and number of formalised recyclers. Publish quarterly progress and independent audits. Where possible, tie budget allocations or procurement preferences to performance on these KPIs.
A pragmatic closing: why collective responsibility matters
Technical fixes exist. Policies can be designed to be fair and effective. But in a democracy, implementation depends on consent and cooperation. Collective responsibility does not mean equal blame; it means shared roles. Government must lead with rules and resources. Industry must shoulder responsibility and innovation. Citizens must shift habits and demand better. NGOs, academia and entrepreneurs must bridge ideas and action.
If we accept that pollution is not somebody else’s problem, we open the path for durable solutions. That requires patience, data, incentives and a willingness to change how we live and produce. I remain convinced that when institutions, markets and communities align, cleaner air and less waste are not distant ideals but practical outcomes.
Regards,
Hemen Parekh
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