A significant reduction in carbon emission has helped the seed farm, located in Aluva , Kerala under the Agricultural Department, achieve the carbon neutral status. As many as 30 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture and this can be prevented and climate change can be regulated through carbon neutral agricultural practices, CM of Kerela added.

LEARNING FROM HOME/ WITHOUT CLASSES/ BASICS

Carbon neutrality means having a balance between emitting carbon and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere in carbon sinks; refers to the idea of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by balancing those emissions so they are equal (or less than) the emissions that get removed through the planet’s natural absorption;

                Removing carbon oxide from the atmosphere and then storing it is known as carbon sequestration; It is a process of capturing, securing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The idea is to stabilize carbon in solid and dissolved forms so that it doesn’t cause the atmosphere to warm.

In order to achieve net zero emissions, all worldwide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will have to be counterbalanced by carbon sequestration. Carbon sink is any system that absorbs more carbon than it emits. The main natural carbon sinks are soil, forests and oceans.

India has promised to cut its emissions to net zero by 2070.

India also updated its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and  communicated to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

As per the updated NDC, India now stands committed to reduce Emissions Intensity of its GDP by 45 percent by 2030, from 2005 level and achieve about 50 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.

Earlier, India submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to UNFCCC on October 2, 2015. The 2015 NDC comprised eight goals; three of these have quantitative targets upto 2030 namely, cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil sources to reach 40%; reduce the emissions intensity of GDP by 33 to 35 percent compared to 2005 levels and creation of additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover.