Local area carbon profiling by assessing various emission and sequestration factors

Pune is one of the first cities in India to document a detailed carbon emission inventory at the municipal level, and by estimating its cumulative and per capita carbon footprint, it has set a unique example. The data available is for the entire city and not available for specific local areas, where the emissions are more comfortable to address. Addressing issues at a local area level will help achieve the targets set in the SDGs, the Paris Climate Change Agreement (PCCA) at a faster rate as the issues to be addressed will be specific, and the impacts can be monitored easily as compared to a larger area. The city of Pune is divided into 76 prabhags (local areas) for ease in Governance. In this thesis, a study of carbon emissions from two wards is conducted. These areas are Sahakarnagar- an area in the South-Western region of the city of Pune, while the other region is Pashan & Sutarwadi- a newly developed area in the North-Eastern side of the city of Pune. These areas have a distinct character, and their study will provide different results. Primary, as well as secondary surveys, have been conducted to gather the required data for the study. Various sectors that contribute significantly to the Carbon Emissions of the city are considered for the study. The emissions for these wards are studied and analyzed sector-wise. Multiple standards and emission factors from different sources are used to calculate the carbon emissions for the wards. A study of the sequestration potential of the wards is incorporated in the research, which aids in preparing the carbon profile for the ward. The emissions are majorly estimated using the IPCC 2006 manual. At the end of the thesis, suitable recommendations have been given to reduce carbon emissions. Collectively, such measures for all wards of the city would help to reduce net emissions of the city and help reduce its contribution to Climate Change and similar catastrophic events. It will also be a significant contribution to the Climate Change Mitigation efforts taken by various entities worldwide.