Corp to take initial steps towards net-zero emissions

Thiruvananthapuram: Modelled on the lines of the Mumbai Climate Action Plan (MCAP), the corporation will formulate a net zero carbon and resilient building action plan for Thiruvananthapuram city. The initiative is being implemented in association with World Resource Institute based in Mumbai.
The MCAP’s main objective is to create a comprehensive strategy to tackle the challenges of climate change by adopting inclusive and robust mitigation and adaptation strategies, according to the website.
In the first phase, a baseline data on major sources of carbon emission will be identified. Remedial measures will be undertaken in the second step. The project will be executed over two years, a project official said.
The agenda was presented in the council meeting held here on Thursday.
Various sectors will be identified as the sources of carbon emission in the city, which include buildings, transport, industry, energy, agriculture, etc. The construction sector is one major field from where greenhouse gas emissions are high, the agenda noted.
The state budget 2022 proposed to achieve net zero carbon emission in the state by 2050. Countries have reached a consensus under the Paris Agreement to achieve a long-term target of reducing global warming by 1.5 degrees Celsius through the reduction of emission of greenhouse gases.
The central government aims to achieve a net zero carbon emission rate in the country by 2070.
With the cooperation of various national and international funding agencies, other related institutions, central government departments, expert groups, and industrial organizations and with planned projects, the state government has set the target of achieving net zero carbon emission by 2050, thereby becoming a role model for the nation.
An article by WRI says that to achieve net-zero emissions, rapid transformation will be required across all global systems — from how we power our economies, to how we transport people and goods and feed a growing population.
For example, in pathways to 1.5 degrees Celsius, zero-carbon sources will need to supply 98%-100% of electricity by 2050.
Energy efficiency and fuel-switching measures are critical for reducing emissions from transportation. Improving the efficiency of food production, changing dietary choices, restoring degraded lands, and reducing food loss and waste also have significant potential to reduce emissions, the article notes.