Shahin Bepari Lambe
Panaji: In a first, the state will soon begin carbon profiling and sectoral analysis at the panchayat level under the Net Positive Panchayat (NPP) initiative, with pilot projects planned in Calangute, Harvalem and Caurem-Pirla.
The initiative is aimed at making panchayats become climate-resilient, low-carbon and self-sustaining communities by building awareness and technical understanding of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon profiling at the village level.
“The model has been designed so that it can later be replicated across Goa and other Indian states to support India’s national net-zero climate goals at the grassroots level,” associate general manager, Foundation for MSME Clusters Shivi Upadhyay said, adding that an internationally recognised community-scale greenhouse gas accounting protocol will be used.
Calangute has been selected as a tourism-led coastal region, Harvalem as a mixed rural and institutional area, and Caurem-Pirla as a forest-rich village region.
“The project will also develop tools and action plans to reduce emissions and improve sustainability in rural areas,” she said.
Detailed carbon profiles would be prepared for each pilot panchayat, said Upadhyay. The profiling exercise will cover direct emissions, purchased electricity emissions and other indirect emissions across sectors including energy, transport, waste, agriculture, forestry and land use.
Apart from measuring emission sources, the study will also assess carbon sinks such as forests, mangroves and coastal ecosystems to determine the net carbon position of each panchayat.
The initiative will also provide a panchayat-ready toolkit, including an Excel-based MRV tool, a carbon profile template and a sectoral recommendation matrix that can be used by panchayat staff with minimal training.
A detailed sectoral analysis will also be conducted across six priority sectors – energy, transport, solid waste, buildings and public infrastructure, tourism, and agriculture and fisheries -to convert emissions data into development-focused action plans at the village level.
