Gujarat moots green credits for clean earth

An idea mooted by Gujarat can change the way the entire world negotiates climate change and carbon emissions at the Copenhagen summit - the biggest ever gathering of countries on earth.

Instead of the current regime of Carbon Credits which allows one to pollute by releasing carbon in the air, Gujarat has mooted a ‘Green Credits’ regime. The biggest flaw of the carbon credits system and its trading is that it allows one to pollute by paying a price, but doesn’t compel anyone to green the earth. The Green Credit system will require potential polluters to take some Green initiatives first, earn credits for that and only then will they be allowed to pollute - but only as much as they have earned. The proposal, which is learnt to have in principle concurrence of the Centre, is currently bein weighed and readied to make it acceptable to all countries.

It was in this context that, taking a cue from Nepal and the Maldives, chief minister Narendra Modi is holding a cabinet meeting in the Great Rann of Kutch - just a few kilometers from Pakistan - to highlight Gujarat’s several green initiatives. His trump card - Gujarat is the first government in Asia to set up a Climate Change department.

Excerpts from an exclusive interview  with Modi from the Great Rann of Kutch

On cabinet meeting in the Great Rann of Kutch
Maldives held a cabinet meeting under the sea to show its concern for global warming. In Nepal, a cabinet meeting was held at the base camp of Mt Everest on Friday to express their concern. In Gujarat, we are holding a cabinet meeting in a desert - the Great Rann of Kutch- to show our concern for the changing climate.

All bureaucrats and members of the state cabinet, including IAS and IPS officers of the state, have come together in the torrid desert region. In Maldives and Nepal the meetings under water and on Mt Everest were held for half-an-hour but, in Gujarat, all ministers and bureaucrats will stay here for a Chintan Shibir for four days. This is on the international border, very close to Pakistan, far away from even the last Indian village.

Our entire government is going to soak in the experience of the Rann.
A meet on the environment and development has been organized, where former president Abdul Kalam will be coming to guide us.

Staying in the Rann for four days, we want to give a message to the entire world that though global warming is a reality and climate change is also a reality, we human beings can find a solution to the problem by being proactive. We can also save the future generations from global warming.

On green credits replacing carbon credits
Gujarat’s attempts are very different from those of others. Carbon Credits is a concept that first lets you commit sins by producing carbon and polluting the world. It then allows you to buy carbon credits from someone who is not polluting to wash your sins. But we are advocating a totally new concept called ‘Green Credits’ which doesn’t let you pollute unless you have done enough for the environment to earn credits . You can pollute only as much as much you have earned the right to.

We feel that the world should now move towards green credits instead of carbon credits.

This will encourage Green initiatives. What we mean by Green Credits is that you invest in advance for a green movement. You earn points for this. This ensures that you are allowed to release carbon only against the balance of your green credits, which you have already earned. The idea is to green the planet before you pollute. First greenery, then carbon, this is the opposite of carbon credits which says produce carbon first and then go green. This move is to reverse the entire cycle in which you pollute first.  We want to go ahead on this concept with a proposal to reverse this. The Indian government has liked the idea and has agreed in principle to the proposal of Green Credits but the exact formula has to be worked out. It is under discussion as other countries of the world have to be brought under this system as well. The representatives who will go to Copenhagen from Gujarat will put forward this proposal at the international forum.

On creative solution
Several countries are expressing concern about global warming, but Gujarat is focusing on its solution. Till yesterday, the desert was a problem. I see desert as India’s solution - we can contribute our bit to save mankind from global warming by tapping the potential of the desert by producing solar energy.

This positive thinking is the key reason why we are holding this Chintan Shibir, in the Rann.

While the Copenhagen environment summit is ready to start, we are sitting in the Rann.

We want to bring to the fore that Gujarat as a state is quite concerned about climate change. We are the first government in Asia and fourth government in the world to have taken the initiative of creating a climate change department.

On green initiatives
Interestingly Gujarat alone earned 39% of the total carbon credits that the entire country earned. While India talks about reducing carbon emission by 25%, we have already reached a level of 39%! This is despite the fact that Gujarat is an industrialized state. This state has driven a green movement.