News: Meenagnadi village panchayat, Wayanad, Kerala has taken initiative to become a carbon-neutral village
Facts:
- Carbon-neutral Meenangadi project: Started in 2016, it involves afforestation programs, recycling of plastic waste, providing lower-emission cooking stoves.
- Sustainable Action for Climate Resilient Development in Majuli’ (SACReD, Majuli): it was launched by Assam government in 2016. It seeks to make Majuli, India’s first carbon-neutral district by 2020.
Additional Information:
Carbon Neutrality
- It refers to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by having a balance between emitting carbon and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere in carbon sinks. It can be achieved through a reduction in Co2 emissions and/or carbon offsetting.
- Carbon offsetting means compensating for carbon-dioxide pollution by preventing pollution somewhere else. Example: investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency, low carbon technologies, etc.
Note:
1. Carbon sink is any system that absorbs more carbon than it emits. The main natural carbon sinks are soil, forests and oceans.
2. Majuli, located within Brahmaputra River, is the biggest river island in the world.
