States get savvy about climate change

Jun 18, 2010 - McClatchy-Tribune - Energy Central

Soon every village in Himachal Pradesh will know how to calculate its carbon footprint as Indian states get savvier about climate change.

Kerala, Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh are in the process of drafting local climate change programmes. Orissa has a head start in this regard, having published its climate change plan recently.

The ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) also planns an all-state meeting this month to reach a consensus on a common framework for the state action plans.

"We need to know existing base lines in the states, identify areas to focus on vis-...-vis vulnerability," said S. Satpathy, additional director, climate change, MoEF.

The ministry has also urged the states to seek technical help from agencies such as the World Bank and the department for international development.

At the Central level, India has the mammoth National Action Plan on Climate Change, which has eight missions including energy efficiency, green habitat and renewable energy, besides the Low Carbon Growth Committee, which is looking at how key industry sectors will achieve a 20-25% cut in carbon intensity by 2020.