Tamil Nadu first state to launch its own Climate Change mission

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin launched the Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission on Friday to protect the state's natural resources in addition to restoring them in the long term.

Climate Change mission

The state will achieve carbon neutrality well before the 2070 target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said as he launched the groundbreaking initiative, which prioritizes the climate agenda with district missions and climate officers already in the state.

Tamil Nadu will become the first state to launch its own Climate Change Mission. He had launched the Tamil Nadu Green Mission last September and the Tamil Nadu Wetlands Mission this August. A special purpose vehicle, Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company (TNGCC), will implement the State Climate Action Plan.

"Our government sees climate change as a major humanitarian crisis. We have taken various measures to protect the environment after taking office. Global warming has occurred due to high carbon emissions. Many scientists have said that the world should achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Last year at COP26, the Indian government declared that it will become carbon neutral by 2070. Let me assure you that Tamil Nadu will achieve carbon neutrality before then,” Stalin said.

Greenhouse gas emissions in the state

The key objectives of the Tamil Nadu Climate Change mission are to formulate plans to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions in the state, increase the use of public transport, develop strategies to reduce emissions through the use of green and renewable energy, increase forest cover and manage waste effectively.

The goals also cover ways to develop ways to mitigate the impact of climate change, access financial resources for adaptation, initiate climate education in educational institutions, focus on climate action for women and children, and adopt a 'One Health' approach. which includes human, animal and ecological health to understand the alterations in health caused by climate change.

“Climate change is the greatest challenge for humanity today. As Tamil Nadu is a coastal state, the contribution of its Climate Change Movement will prove useful in dealing with the possible impact of climate change. I believe this move will help protect our environment and the lives of our future generations,” he added.

During the 2021-2022 budget, the state government announced the launch of the Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission for an outlay of Rs 500 crore to carry out climate change mitigation and management activities.

Following this, the government established India's first 'Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company', a special purpose vehicle, to implement three major nature conservation projects, namely Tamil Nadu Green Mission, Tamil Nadu Wetlands Tamil Nadu and Tamil Nadu Climate Change.

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