KOLKATA: Bengal govt plans to introduce the world’s first ‘carbon credit card‘ for individuals, with the aim of reducing personal carbon footprint, environment department secretary Abhinav Chandra announced at a climate change workshop in Kolkata on Thursday.
The green credit cards would initially be issued to students who are members of their schools’ eco clubs, Chandra said.
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He added that the aim was to incentivise sustainable practices – such as using public transport instead of cars, avoiding plastic bags, using bicycles, segregating and recycling waste, and avoiding fireworks.
These credits would later be redeemable “through private partners, including major online shopping platforms”, Chandra added. Each eco club would be entrusted with the job of recording members’ carbon credits. Details would be fleshed out soon, a source said.
The workshop, organised by the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC), under the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Readiness Programme, focused on India’s climate-financing needs and strategies for accelerating investment and climate-change resilience.
Chief secretary Manoj Pant highlighted the importance of climate adaptation financing. “Tackling climate change is not just an environmental agenda but a development imperative, requiring additional financial resources and addressing challenges like institutional capacity and the lack of bankable projects,” he said, while stressing the need for decentralised funding models and community engagement.
Rajasree Ray, economic advisor to MoEFCC, under scored the need for a cohesive approach to achieve lowcarbon and climate-resilient growth. “The global future depends on how climate risks are addressed, requisite adaptation measures, and fair apportioning of the global carbon budget,” she said. Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, chairman of Bandhan Group, explored strategies to boost investments in the climate-tech ecosystem.
