Discussion on Critical Challenge in the dominance of fossil fuels during a programme on decarbonisation for green growth in Jharkhand

Ranchi: ‘Facilitating Decarbonisation in Jharkhand’ programme was organised by the Task Force- Sustainable Just Transition, Government of Jharkhand and its technical partner Centre for Environment and Energy Development (CEED) in Ranchi on Tuesday. There was a discussion of the challenges of reducing carbon emissions and outlined the decarbonisation pathways for Jharkhand.

Chairman, Task Force- Sustainable Just Transition, Government of Jharkhand, IFS A.K. Rastogi said, “Jharkhand is known for its robust industrial base and presence of large industries and MSMEs.” Developing a comprehensive cross-sectoral decarbonization framework for the state is one of the key thematic areas for the task force. We had conducted several consultation sessions with diverse stakeholders in previous months, and one overarching theme that came across was accelerating the decarbonisation journey in the state.

Hence, this conference marks a crucial step towards sharing knowledge and best practices, building partnerships and accelerating convergence of actions for a resilient and low-carbon future.” Jharkhand has several energy-intensive industrial activities that lead to a considerable amount of GHG emissions. The study report suggests that the state contributes about 4% of total GHG emission in the country while per capita emission is more than national average. A critical challenge in the dominance of fossil fuels in the state’s energy mix.

The presence of hard-to-abate industries like steel, sponge iron, cement, and ammonia production place the need of augmenting the decarbonisation process to meet net-zero goals.

During the technical sessions Director at the Department of Industries, Government of Jharkhand, IAS Bhor Singh Yadav emphasised that the department is supportive of creating an environment conducive to sustainable Industries practices through incentives, capacitation and hand-holding support for steering toward a low-carbon industrial ecosystem.

Director-Mines, Department of Mines and Geology, Government of Jharkhand, IAS, Arava Rajkamal laid emphasis on incorporating novel technologies such as automation, data analytics, and AI for efficient mineral explorations and industrial operations in reducing energy consumption, and improving overall sustainability.

A strong emphasis on a multi-stakeholder approach resonated throughout the conference.

Chief Executive Officer, CEED, Ramapati Kumar emphasized that ‘Decarbonization process requires a collective effort.

A convergence approach, with partnerships and collaborations between state agencies, industries and business players and research think-tanks, is fundamental.

Decarbonization is not just about meeting emission targets, it’s about forging a sustainable and climate resilient future for the state.

Managing Director, International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) Amit Bhatt emphasise the need for accelerating the shift towards green hydrogen based fleet and electric vehicles, investing in robust charging infrastructure, and collaborating with industries and technology firms to make clean transportation efficient and the environment more sustainable.

The discussions put forth several key issues like clean energy transition, sustainable mobility, green hydrogen hub, compliance of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) and sustainability reporting, harnessing carbon capture & utilisation technology, green jobs, circular economy, nature-based climate solutions and supported capacitation & creating pilot studies for industries and MSMEs to advancing sustainable climate solutions in cross sectoral manner.

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