Governments need to re-evaluate existing approaches to environmental norms while improving on delivery of services under existing laws to improve sustainable and inclusive governance, urged the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a not-for-profit organisation and think-tank. Releasing its ‘Environment and Development Agenda’ for the new government, the organisation proposed a series of recommendations for improving air quality, revival of rivers, energy policy, rural electrification and development based on its research. “We need to move beyond the rhetoric of environmental protection to implementing a tough action plan for change, and this is what we want the government to do,” said CSE Director-General Sunita Narain. Ms. Narain, a member of the National Ganga River Basin Authority set up in 2009, shared data specifically on the pollution level in the river in 2013. She recommended that the government shift its focus from merely constructing Sewage Treatment Plants along the rivers to preventing and reducing discharge of waste and effluents. “Every river in the country is receiving sewage, and every river is dying. Make ecological flow mandatory by measures such as making release of funds to states conditional on them releasing water into the river as per their discharge of waste; make sanitation a top priority,” she said. To improve air quality, the government must bring the right fiscal policy on fuel, maintaining effective differential between petrol and diesel prices through appropriate taxation, and prioritising the public transportation agenda by beginning a “Million Bus” programme, recommended CSE’s Anumita Roychowdhury. “Thirteen of the world’s 20 worst polluted cities are in India, including Delhi. In Delhi, 25 million travel trips are generated by its people every day, Delhi Metro can handle 5 million. What about the rest? At present, cars are taxed lesser, which promotes private vehicles, while more environment-friendly forms of transport such as buses are taxed heavily as a commercial operation,” said Ms. Roychowdhury. “The new government must introduce Bharat Stage IV emission standards by 2015, and introduce higher parking charges as per the actual cost of using up public space for parking,” she added. CSE’s Deputy Director-General Chandra Bhushan emphasised that the government focus on increasing renewable sources of energy by setting up micro-grids rather than larger grids based on thermal power alone. “We need more rooftop solar plants, not large plants as have been set up in Rajasthan and Gujarat. The government must focus on decentralised renewable energy. Improving energy efficiency in buildings, appliances, industry will help conserve 25,000 MW,” he said.