BHUBANESWAR: As India aims to achieve its ambitious target of net-zero emission by 2070, states are expected to play a pivotal role in driving the country towards the goal. However, Odisha despite being one of the first states to prepare its action plan to fight climate change, is yet to set its decarbonisation target, raising apprehensions about its commitment to the zero emission objective.
At the 26th Conference of Parties (COP-26) held in Glasgow in 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that India will achieve net-zero emissions by 2070. The PM had also announced that the country will take significant steps before 2030 to realise this goal.
The target, however, relies heavily on the participation of states, especially those with high industrial activity. Odisha is one such state that has figured in the list of top states in terms of CO2 emissions. A report, ‘Challenges and Policy Implications of a Low Carbon Pathway for Odisha’, released by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) in January this year revealed that the net greenhouse gas (GHG) emission of the coastal state, known for its vast mineral resources and industrial sectors, is about 9.3%.
Though the state has taken significant steps to facilitate a transition towards renewable energy and fight climate change, it appears to be moving slowly in formulating a clear decarbonisation roadmap. As it is, only a handful of states have clearly underlined the target they have set for achieving net-zero emission.
However, Odisha is the first state to get its second phase of climate action plan approved from the National Steering Committee on Climate Change (NSCCC) under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
It has outlined a whopping investment of Rs 2.45 lakh crore between 2021 and 2030 for climate adaptation and mitigation activities in key sectors, including water resources, forestry, urban development and agriculture. However, authorities of the state Forest, Environment and Climate Change department said Odisha’s plan to achieve net-zero carbon emission is still under consideration of the state government.
Industrial experts and environmentalists have already underlined that being an energy and emission-intensive state with high production of steel, aluminum, coal, minerals and electricity, the path of decarbonisation for Odisha would be challenging. They have pointed out that decarbonising the economy would require a state-specific solution while meeting the energy security targets and sustainable development goals.
A senior forest official from the department said the process to prepare a roadmap for achieving net-zero carbon emission in line with the country’s decarbonisation plan has already started. “While a secretary-level meeting has already been held, the department had a meeting with the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) to proceed further in this direction,” he said.
Forest and environment minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia said steps to set a goal for net-zero emission in the state will be taken soon. He said that during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi recently, a decision was taken for coordination among all departments to reduce the carbon footprint in development. “We are also initiating steps to reduce overall carbon emission and mitigate their contribution to climate change through carbon trading,” Singhkhuntia said.