Odisha Must Reduce Carbon Footprints, Find Alternative Sources Of Energy, Say Experts

Bhubaneswar: Environmentalists and ecologists have said that the government needs  to find alternative sources of energy, reduce CO2 emissions and conserve water to protect resources to prevent the excess climate change which Odisha may endure.

They were speaking at ‘Climate Change Initiative’, organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) at Swosti Premium. Eminent researchers, politicians, top bureaucrats and experts mooted on the importance for the state to be more aware with regards to energy conservation.

They suggested that while alternative energy can be vital in reducing carbon footprints, it can also help in preserving rights of individual communities and culture that face insidious destruction due to careless mining.

Minister for Energy Dibya Shankar Mishra, said,  “Industry cannot sustain without protecting the environment. Odisha aspires for high economic growth but that should not come at a cost. They have to focus on three basic aspects of self-sustaining, eco-friendly and zero waste. Industry has to play a major role in protecting the forest, eco-system and quality of water and air.”

Discussing the rising CO2 emission in the state owing to heavy industrialisation, experts pointed out how Odisha needs to do more in terms of cutting down its carbon footprint. Individual studies have shown that the carbon footprint study for Odisha indicates that the total emissions in the baseline year of 2011-12 were 98.5 million tons CO2 where energy generation contributed the most with 83%. The impact of this can be understood from another study that suggested the state is set to witness a 30 times increase in extremely hot days owing to heavy greenhouse gas emissions till the end of the century. A projected 42,334 excess climate-related deaths will also be observed due to this change.