CHENNAI: The state government will be releasing the greenhouse gases (GHG) inventory next month, which will form the basis for finalising the sector-specific decarbonisation pathways to achieve net zero.
The Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company in collaboration with Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a public policy think-tank, is updating Tamil Nadu's emissions inventory established through the GHG Platform India (GHGPI) till 2019-20.
"This year is more representative of Tamil Nadu's emissions since 2020-21 and 2021-22 were marked by the pandemic, leading to a fall in emissions across sectors in comparison to the previous years," said Supriya Sahu, additional chief secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forest Department, on the sidelines of the Global Investors Meet, where a session on 'Embracing climate action through circular economy' was organised.
Chief Minister MK Stalin had already announced that Tamil Nadu was striving to achieve net zero by 2050, which before the India's target to achieving it by 2070.
Sahu told TNIE the final draft report of the inventory will be submitted next month and the findings will be presented to the respective line departments. "The study revealed that the energy sector is the most emission intensive sector. Within this sector energy consumption by electricity generation is the highest, followed by the transport and industries sectors. This data will help the state prioritise actions to mitigate emissions, even as it looks to expand energy consumption and industrial production," Sahu said.
This will involve sector level interventions -- ranging from improving efficiency of power generation mix, reviewing industrial structure and associated energy choices, transportation services provision, management of waste streams and resource recovery to forestry and land-use changes. These actions will then have implications for long-term pathways for energy demand and supply, she added.
At the Global Investors' Meet, there is lot of push and focus on green solutions, clean tech and sustainability. Nirmala Raja, chairperson, Ramco Community Services and member of Tamil Nadu Governing Council on Climate Change, appreciated Tamil Nadu's climate change mitigation efforts and its innovative approach. Nirmala is playing active role in achieving carbon neutrality in Rajapalayam, a first-of-its-kind pilot initiative.