State's green strategy unveiled

Karnataka has unveiled a green growth strategy at the State-level, said to be the first in the country, given that it is common to hear about national-level strategies being deployed to handle climate change at the global level.

‘Green Growth Strategy for Karnataka,’ a report prepared by the Bengaluru Climate Change Initiative-Karnataka (BCCI) under the leadership of former minister and legislator Prof B K Chandrashekar, was released on Saturday by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the Vidhana Soudha.

The report was prepared in partnership with the Global Green Growth Institute.
Experts from six institutions – the IISc, the Centre for Study of Science and Technology and Policy, the London School of Economics, the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), IIT-Delhi and Integrated Natural Resources Management Consultants, New Delhi, came together to prepare the report.

Chandrashekar, who is chair of the consortium of institutions, said the report was the first comprehensive document at developing a state-level green growth strategy in India using sophisticated analytical tools and models.

“It presents a detailed sectoral analysis of challenges and solutions for energy, agriculture, forestry and water sectors. The report is also informed by constant engagement with stakeholders, especially the Government of Karnataka. We will act within the framework of the government and identify financial resources and suggest investment opportunities for the government, private sector and multilateral banks to encourage and enable the development of sustainable practices across sectors,” he said.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the number of people working on climate change consequences was less and more needed to be done to gather public support.
He commended the presence of experts stating that the team perhaps was the only one in the country working on climate policies to be taken up at the state-level.
“We need more such teams,” he said.

Energy Minister D K Shivakumar stressed on the need to develop renewable energy, solar in particular, to protect the greenery in the State. Of late, the changing climate patterns were a bit of a worry as change is becoming visible.

“Six years ago, we wouldn’t feel the weather as being hot, while today we can’t live without air conditioners. I am also worried about farmers, but the solar power schemes that have been developed, where incentives would be handed out for generation of power on their own land, has got us a huge response when we made this initiative public.”