Potential for Carbon Trading through the Raising of Host Plants of Tasar Silkworm

Recognizing the growth potential of carbon trading, which is still in its initial days, this article explores more fully as to how the benefits of carbon trading can be linked to the tasar rearing activities that are being promoted by Pradan in the poorer regions.

C limate change is one of the most challenging environmental, economic and social issues facing the world today. Industrialization and deforestation have led to increased pollution and the emission of green house gases (GHGs), thereby bringing in change in the overall trend in climatic patterns. In the past decade (2000 to 2010), global carbon dioxide emissions have increased at an annual rate of 1.3%, equivalent to 300 MT. At the start of this decade in 2000, whereas carbon emissions were in the range of 300 to 500 million MT per year in the developing countries, it crossed the 1,600 million MT mark in the developed countries. Though GHGs can be reduced by reducing the consumption of fossil fuels, it is not practically feasible, in view of the increasing urbanization and industrialization

India shares the global concern of climate change and is a party to various initiatives, namely, the Vienna Convention (1991), the Montreal Protocol (1992) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change—UNFCCC (1993). Besides, ratification of the Kyoto Protocol (1997) in 2002 imposes binding targets for reducing the combined GHG emission to 5.2% below the 1990 level, by 2012. This can be achieved through direct regulations, including incentives and/or obligations to reduce the net emissions of GHGs, or through indirect measures. The following three mechanisms were provided under the Kyoto Protocol to help countries or operators in developed countries to acquire GHG reduction credits or carbon emission reduction (CER) units, which are defined as the reduction of 1 MT of carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere