Op-ed: Don’t blackball the proposal to clean up carbon

This report was researched and written by a group of Masters in Public Affairs students, PhD candidates, a Masters in Public Policy student, and a postdoctoral research fellow at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. Led by a Princeton University professor -an atmospheric scientist-the project was sponsored by the School as part of the annual graduate policy workshop program. The goal of the workshop program is for the students to contribute to addressing critical policy problems. This particular workshop arose out of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) desire to develop a comprehensive plan to integrate air quality and climate mitigation efforts, with a focus on black carbon. The group set out to address that need and hopes it has succeeded in offering recommendations that will be useful to the EPA as it confronts growing challenges in air quality and climate change. In developing the report, the group first met with the director and staff of EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, Office of Policy Analysis and Review to discuss the interests and needs of the client. Over the following weeks, members reviewed the latest science behind black carbon and researched possible mitigation policies. The latter included discussions with almost 50 experts and stakeholders, including government agencies, business networks, academics and advocacy groups. The group met with experts in California, Colorado, Finland, New Jersey, the Northeast, and Russia. Through careful research and deliberation, the group developed a framework for assessing the air quality and climate impacts of black carbon, and provided a suite of policy options focused on reducing black carbon emissions both domestically and internationally.

In the present era of rising GHGs (Green House Gases) emissions, the carbon credit system has emerged as a vital market-based instrument to mitigate emissions by assigning monetary value to the act of polluting, thereby incentivizing low-carbon practices across sectors. Originating from the Kyoto Protocol and further institutionalized under the Paris Agreement, carbon credits operate through compliance and voluntary markets, offering a platform where emission reductions achieved via renewable energy, afforestation, methane capture, and soil carbon enhancement can be traded to meet climate targets. The mechanism plays a pivotal role in aligning climate policy with economic development, enabling countries and corporations to pursue net-zero pathways while investing in sustainable development. The Indian landscape is witnessing a paradigm shift through the establishment of the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) and the Green Credit Programme (GCP), which collectively promote afforestation, biodiversity conservation, and energy efficiency. Additionally, India's emphasis on Nature-Based Solutions (NbS), including mangrove restoration and agroforestry, aligns with its commitment to create a 2.5-3.0 billion tonne carbon sink by 2030. Despite its promise, the carbon credit system faces challenges including greenwashing, concerns over additionality, permanence, and leakage. To counter these, global initiatives such as the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market and technological innovations in Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) are enhancing credibility and transparency. Coastal communities, particularly in the domain of blue carbon ecosystems, stand to benefit significantly through carbon credit-linked eco-enterprises. These initiatives provide co-benefits including food security, livelihood diversification, disaster risk reduction, and social empowerment. By integrating local knowledge, gender inclusion, and participatory governance, carbon projects can transform marginalized communities into climate custodians. Internationally, carbon credits are increasingly integrated into national Emissions Trading System (ETS) and bilateral trading under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, unlocking new dimensions in climate diplomacy and finance. However, the success of this system hinges on equitable access, stringent validation standards, and robust stakeholder engagement. As the global economy pivots toward net-zero, carbon credits, if anchored in integrity, science, and justice can offer a promising pathway to bridge economic growth and environmental sustainability. From reforested highlands to mangrove-rich deltas, carbon credits not only represent tonnes of avoided CO₂ but also embody resilience, equity, and a redefined climate future.

2020

The 1972 Stockholm declaration on the human environment led to constitution of first-generation conventions such as CITES, CMS, and WHC followed by the second-generation conventions such as CBD and UNFCCC that were adopted post 1991 as an outcome of Earth Summit and led to the development of holistic approaches to conservation reflecting the sensitivities of poverty, rural development, equal participation, sustainable use, education, and awareness. The UNFCCC makes it obligatory on all signatories to develop, publish, periodically update, and make available national inventory of GHGs, steps taken or envisaged to implement the Convention. India submitted its Initial National Communication (INC) to the UNFCCC in UNFCCC website https://unfccc.int entailing emissions inventory of 1994. Second National Communication (SNC) was submitted to the UNFCCC in 2012 wherein GHG inventory for the year 2000 was reported and a summary of GHG inventory for the year 2007 was provided as a proactive me...

India's climate commitment (INDC) is deeply flawed, with dangerous nuclear power, big hydropower, and continued reliance on unsustainable development and growth

EcoRN: Climate Change Ecology (Topic), 2018

Talk of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is spilling out of scientific circles and into the realm of climate politics and policy. Civil society has a vital role to play in ensuring that this conversation is responsive to social needs and develops in constructive and appropriate ways. This report provides a starting point to help environmental and social justice non-governmental organizations (NGOs) engage in the growing conversation about carbon removal. Section 1 of the report argues that the world needs to grapple seriously with large-scale carbon removal and long-term storage, exploring both the rationale for considering carbon removal and the associated risks and downsides. Section 2 provides a brief introduction to the range of options for large-scale carbon removal. Section 3 surveys the existing conversation in different domains, from academia to philanthropy to civil society. Section 4 considers the relationship between carbon removal and mitigation. Section 5 ske...

Copenhagen: …, 2009

The Copenhagen Consensus Center has commissioned 21 papers to examine the costs and benefits of different solutions to global warming. The project's goal is to answer the question:

Economic and Political Weekly, 2009

It is necessary to determine the role of various nations, including India, China and the other major developing countries in keeping the total atmospheric stock of greenhouse gases below 450 ppm (carbon dioxide equivalent) which, in turn, would provide a 50% probability of keeping the global temperature increase below 2°c. An analysis of future emissions of co2 in Annex I countries, large developing nations and other nations is done using a gams-based emission model. This analysis underlines sharply the historical responsibility of the developed nations for global warming and their duty to cut emissions drastically to mitigate climate change. Also large developing nations like China and India also need to contribute strongly to mitigation. It is argued that this necessity makes evident that carbon offsets will act as “double burden” on developing nations, as also a major disincentive to innovation in critical migration technologies in the industrialised world. The analysis implies t...