The Kunnamkulam municipality is on a mission to achieve zero carbon footprint and emulate Meenangadi in Wayanad, the first carbon-neutral grama panchayat in the country.
As part of the initiative, the municipality conducted an assessment of the carbon levels in soil and plants. The College of Climate Change and Environmental Sciences under the Kerala Agricultural University conducted the assessment.
Carbon neutrality or zero carbon footprint means achieving zero carbon emission to reverse drastic climate changes and patterns. Measuring and controlling emission of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO 2); methane (CH 4), nitrous oxide (N 2O), is the first stage of achieving carbon neutrality.
“As part of the more than a-year-long study, we visited 777 houses in 37 wards of the municipality. We included petrol pump workers, bus and lorry drivers and farmers in the study to calculate carbon emission in the municipal area,” said P.O. Nameer, Dean, College of Climate Change and Environmental Sciences.
According to the study, current carbon emission in Kunnamkulam municipality is 50,278.70 tonne CO 2 eq. While the carbon stock in the area is 35,198.32 tonne CO 2 eq. So the municipality has an excess of 15,080.38 CO 2 eq. They studied carbon emission from sources such as traffic, industry, domestic purposes, waste management, and farming.
As per the study, if the municipality wants to achieve carbon neutral status by 2030, it needs to plant at least 38 lakh saplings in its area. Use of solar energy should be encouraged in offices and houses. Electric vehicles and cycles also should be encouraged.
Scientific waste management and continuing awareness programmes on carbon neutrality are some of the suggestions given by the College of Climate Change and Environmental Sciences for achieving the zero emission stage.
The college is preparing an action plan to achieve the goal, Mr. Nameer said.
