The Karnataka State Climate Action Plan that was prepared in 2021 has received approval from the central government. The state is all set to implement this plan. This comes at a time when the state recently faced one of the worst droughts in its history and the country has faced one of the hottest summers. Karnataka will become one of the first states to implement the climate action plan.
Experts said that the action plan must be implemented at the earliest since the impact of climate change on the state is increasing by the day. According to an official from the environment department, all departments concerned will have to work on integrating the measures suggested in the action plan.
Deccan Herald reports that the action plan, prepared by the Environment Management and Policy Research Institute (EMPRI), recommends several interventions and evaluation strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change. The plan indicates that the state requires Rs 52,827 crore between 2025 and 2030 to implement measures in agriculture, horticulture, forestry, rural development and 10 other sectors.
Some strategies suggested for mitigation under this plan include:
- Increase in renewable capacity and investment to reduce T&D losses
- Increased investment in public transport and electric vehicle infrastructure
- Implementation of sector-wise energy efficiency measures for industry, especially Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited among others
- Energy-efficient and solar-based pumps for agriculture
- Climate resilient afforestation programme and promoting forest conservation
While the preparation and approval of the Karnataka Climate Action Plan is a step in the right direction, the amount of institutional support and funding is unclear and possibly lacking. Additionally, most of the strategies involve adding new RE to replace fossil fuels or energy efficiency. There has been no thought about changing consumption patterns and relooking at energy use as a whole.
– The Editorial Team
Read the full issue here : Energy Matters | June 2024