It seems plans to improve Pune’s environment by cutting down harmful emissions won’t bear fruition in the immediate future, as no effort has been made to even prepare a carbon footprint report for the city. Although Mahesh Zagade, the commissioner of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), had announced in March, this year, that PMC will be the first municipal corporation in India to take such an initiative, nothing has happened on this front even after seven months.

PMC had decided to give a contract to Delhi-based The Energy Research Institute (TERI) to prepare the city’s carbon emission report. Mangesh Dighe, the environment officer of PMC, had said when Zagade had announced the plan, that the decision to go in for a carbon footprint report from next year will be in addition to the Environment Status Report (ESR). When reminded about this,  Dighe  said, “We have not signed an agreement with TERI yet. Moreover, PMC’s general body till date has not passed the proposal. Therefore, we are not able to sign the agreement as well as arrange money to prepare the carbon footprint report.”

Anjali Parasnis, a co-ordinator of TERI said, “The agreement between PMC and TERI for preparing a carbon footprint report is yet to be signed. As per my knowledge, PMC is making some changes in the terms and conditions of the agreement. For preparing the report, we require three to four months.”

According to  a city-based environment researcher, Sandip Joshi, the city is losing out on an opportunity to encash the lucrative carbon credits, as the civic body is yet to take steps to reduce emissions in a way conforming to global conventions on this. “If Pune knows its actual carbon footprint and their sources, the administration can control the emissions and thereafter earn lots of money (by selling carbon credits) which could be used to fund projects like mass transportation. Pune has three types of emissions, namely solid waste, air pollution and waste water,” he said.

As per plans, the carbon footprint report will be included in the ESR from next year. Pune has been releasing ESR since 1997 as mandated by state as well as central legislations such as the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation Act and the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act enshrined in Article 243W which calls for, inter alia, the  protection of the environment and promotion of ecological aspects.

The carbon footprint report while taking into account the demographics and economic indicators of a region, considers the impact of carbon emissions on the natural resources like land, air and water.

Carbon footprint

A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. For ease of reporting, it is often expressed in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide, or its equivalent of other GHGs, emitted.
The carbon footprint of an individual, nation, region or organisation can be measured by undertaking a GHG-emission assessment.
Once the size of a carbon footprint is known, a strategy can be devised to reduce it, e.g. by way of technological developments, better process and product management, carbon capture, consumption strategies, and others.
 —Source: wikipedia.org