Reduce Carbon Emissions

The world is in the grip of a climate crisis. Anthropogenic activities are to blame for the crisis. Owing to such activities, carbon footprints are rising day in, day out. Individuals, companies and others are producing carbon footprints all the while. A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide and methane included, that are produced as a result of human activities, lifestyles or the products people use. 

Greenhouse gases are responsible for rising temperatures. Some parts of the world are already becoming hostile for human life. The world is getting hotter. As a result, water scarcity may become a major problem in the days to come. To avoid rising temperatures, carbon footprints need to be below two tonnes by 2050. The average amount of carbon footprints for a person is four tons now. In the USA, it is as high as 16 tonnes, one of the highest in the world. It is 13 tonnes in the UK. 

Luxurious lifestyle

Everyone is releasing carbon into the atmosphere. Only the amount differs from person to person based on their lifestyle or activity. A luxurious lifestyle produces more carbon than an ordinary one does. If people know how much carbon they are producing, they can take measures to reduce it by, for example, changing their lifestyles. But it would be difficult for many to change their lifestyles. However, it would be prudent on their part to acknowledge the carbon footprint contributions they are making to climate change and take steps to reduce them. In fact, people are releasing large quantities of carbon into the atmosphere. Travelling, eating food, wearing clothes and suchlike all contribute to accumulation of carbon in the atmosphere. 

But the point is, luxurious lifestyles should be abandoned for the sake of reducing carbon footprints. Nepal’s per capita greenhouse gas emissions are negligible vis-à-vis industrialised countries. However, such emissions have been increasing over the past few years. As per the mandatory report filed by the Ministry of Environment with the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) last year, Nepal’s emissions stand at 28,166 gigagrams of carbon dioxide (GgCo2) as compared to 13,447 GgCo2 in 2014. The use of petroleum products is largely to blame for an increase in the emissions. 

It may be noted that burning fossil fuels is the major contributing factor to a rise in greenhouse gas emissions. Fossil fuels contain carbon. Nepal is a party to the UNFCCC. The country signed the UNFCCC in 1992 and became a member of the convention in 1994. Nepal is serious about reducing carbon emissions. The country has planned to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and meet the commitment of notching up net zero emissions by 2050 through reducing emissions from agriculture, forestry, land, energy, industry and waste. 

Nepal has prepared a second NDC (nationally determined contribution) plan, according to which the public transport system will be strengthened. It is the unvarnished truth that the transport sector has the lion’s share of carbon emissions in the country. The country aims at converting over 90 per cent of vehicles running on fossil fuels (petrol and diesel) into electric vehicles by 2030. This will eliminate fossil fuels to a great extent, which will, in turn, help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 28 per cent by 2030. Through the NDC plan, Nepal has also pledged itself to generate 15 per cent of the energy from clean energy sources and to maintain 45 per cent of forest cover by 2030. 

Those countries that contribute to fighting the climate emergency by producing less carbon can avail themselves of UNFCCC funds so that they can adapt to the climate crisis. Nepal has received Rs. 7 billion from the UNFCCC’s Green Climate for two projects. It is projected that a rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius in temperatures will cause heavy precipitation and flooding in the country. A rise of 2 degrees Celsius in temperatures will be even more formidable; it will give rise to extreme weather, heatwaves, wildfires and droughts besides heavy precipitation and flooding. It is a matter of serious concern that the Himalayas are warming by 0.3 to 0.7 degrees Celsius faster than the global average.     

Countries around the world are levying carbon taxes in a bid to reduce carbon emissions. Such carbon taxes are designed for big companies manufacturing products that result in heavy carbon emissions. If people are conscious, they can choose companies emitting small quantities of greenhouse gases over those emitting large quantities.   

Carbon trade 

Those countries like Nepal that emit low quantities of greenhouse gas emissions can take advantage of carbon trade. In 2021, Nepal signed a multi-million-dollar agreement with the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF). As per the agreement, the country will reduce carbon emissions by protecting forests and can earn up to US$ 45 million by 2025. Nepal, as a least developed country, is eligible for selling carbon to developed countries under the Reducing Emissions through Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) programme. These countries can offset their emissions by purchasing carbon.  

Nepal’s progress in forest protection is remarkable. The country has, to its credit, more than three decades of successful community forestry. The country’s association with the FCPF is considered beneficial as it provides financial support in its bid to reduce the greenhouse gas emission level. With a view to rising greenhouse gas emissions over the years, individuals, companies and governments should work in tandem to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By working synergically, such carbon emissions can be reduced for the benefit of marginalised communities that are disproportionately affected by climate change as well as for the benefit of the world as a whole.   

(Maharjan has been regularly writing on contemporary issues for this daily since 2000. uttam.maharjan1964@gmail.com)