Palli: India’s first Carbon – neutral panchayat

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Palli village of Jammu and Kashmir has become the first panchayat in the country to become carbon-neutral, fully powered by solar energy.
The Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi called it a major step towards the Glasgow goal.
About

Palli village is located in samba district of Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

All the records of village have been digitised and the benefits of all the Central schemes are available in this village around 17 km from Jammu.

PM Inaugurated a 500-kilowatt solar plant in Palli.

According to the PM India that has come up with a living example in the form of Palli village to the Glasgow pledge.

Palli was a major step towards the Glasgow goal of making India carbon-neutral.

Palli village was also an example of the slogan Sabka prayas (everyone’s efforts).

Carbon neutrality

Carbon neutrality means having a balance between emitting carbon and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere in carbon sinks.

Removing carbon oxide from the atmosphere and then storing it is known as carbon sequestration. In order to achieve net zero emissions, all worldwide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will have to be counterbalanced by carbon sequestration.

Carbon sink is any system that absorbs more carbon than it emits. The main natural carbon sinks are soil, forests and oceans.

To date, no artificial carbon sinks are able to remove carbon from the atmosphere on the necessary scale to fight global warming.

The carbon stored in natural sinks such as forests is released into the atmosphere through forest fires, changes in land use or logging. This is why it is essential to reduce carbon emissions in order to reach climate neutrality.

Carbon offsetting

Another way to reduce emissions and to pursue carbon neutrality is to offset emissions made in one sector by reducing them somewhere else. This can be done through investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency or other clean, low-carbon technologies.

Another example of an initiative to reduce emissions is the carbon border adjustment mechanism, which would apply carbon prices on imported goods from less climate ambitious countries.

The Glasgow Climate Pact 2021

A new global agreement - the Glasgow Climate Pact - was reached at the COP26 summit.

It aims to reduce the worst impacts of climate change

COP26 agreement

The agreement - although not legally binding - will set the global agenda on climate change for the next decade.

It was agreed countries will meet next year to pledge further cuts to emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) - a greenhouse gas which causes climate change.

This is to try to keep temperature rises within 1.5C - which scientists say is required to prevent a "climate catastrophe". Current pledges, if met, will only limit global warming to about 2.4C.

 Source: The Hindu
 
Posted by on 25th Apr 2022