A individual carbon footprint is the sum of all emissions of carbon dioxide induced by one’s activities in a given time frame. Usually a carbon footprint is calculated for a period of one year. It is a powerful tool for understanding the impact of individual action on global warming.

On an average, a child born in United States uses 400 times more energy in compare to India, thus leaving behind a much larger carbon footprint. Although developed countries have larger carbon emissions, both the developed and developing countries have to shoulder the responsibility for the survival of life on the blue planet.

India can employ various methods to address the problem. First, carbon labeling of a product can help consumers to monitor their own carbon footprint. Second, installing good insulation and double-paned windows can lower energy costs in a house. Third, compact fluorescent lamps, energy-efficient appliances and green power sources also help lower consumption. Fourth, use of public transport or car pool, use of bicycles to commute short distances; planting more trees can be very effective. Fifth, general public needs to be educated about eco friendly practices in everyday life. It is now mandatory for companies to submit corporate social responsibility reports annually as per Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines on the social, economic and environmental impact of a company. Six, consumers must be made aware of the green policies of a company before purchasing its products.

Cremation in India is a big challenge for carbon emission. A ccremation needs 400-500 kg of wood. According to an estimate by UNO, about 10 million people die in India every year and since 84 per cent of India’s population is Hindu, the ritual produces half a million tonnes of ash and also releases eight million tonnes of greenhouse gases or carbon dioxide. Efforts to promote electric crematoriums have not been sufficiently successful because most Hindus seem to reject the idea due to religious, sentimental, and social reasons.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has undertaken numerous initiatives for carbon reduction, such as energy audit, energy management, green building consultancy, water management, technology incubation, renewable energy services towards building increased climate responsiveness among the Indian Industry. More than a thousand detailed energy audits across various industries have led to large quantum of GHG emission reduction. CII has also begun work with state governments by estimating carbon foot-print of states, reviewing existing state-level industrial policies and regulatory framework from climate change standpoint and by proposing modifications in state policies to reduce GHG emissions.

In June 2008 India announced the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), a comprehensive framework of mitigation and adaptation policies and programs. India has already released details on three of the eight missions (solar, energy efficiency, and Himalayan ecosystems) that make up the NAPCC, and plans to release details on the other missions in 2010. Passing legislation by setting national carbon dioxide emissions targets and a national environmental regulatory agency to enforce emissions standards needs to be a priority.

India plans to increase installed renewable energy capacity to 23,500 megawatts by 2012 and aims to get 20 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. Its Solar Mission sets a goal of 20 gigawatts (GW) of installed solar capacity by 2020 which will reduce India’s emissions by 42 million tons per year. The Mission set a further goal of 100 GW of solar capacity by 2030 and 200 GW by 2050. However for achieving such goals a green consciousness plan needs to be devised to educate the masses.

The National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE) aims to curb emissions by nearly 100 million tons a year. India’s Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) is instituting tradable energy efficiency credits, which could save 183.5 billion kWh annually. The BEE also recently released a labeling program for household appliances, including televisions, ceiling lamps, and air-conditioners. These efforts are expected to result in savings of more than 10,000 million KWh annually over five years.

India’s plan to institute fuel-efficiency caps on all cars and trucks by 2011 can not be a success unless more funds are earmarked for Research and Development. Merely investing heavily on urban public transit, such as metro, flyovers and bus-rapid-transit will not help unless vehicle fleets are converted to compressed natural gas (CNG) in all cities with a population greater than five lakhs.

In 2009, although the Indian government doubled its forestry budget and has plans to revitalize six million hectares of degraded forest lands every year, commercial forestry and the forest fires are issues which have not been dealt with properly. The NACPP has also established a final goal of bringing one-third of the geographic area of India under forest cover. It’s time every citizen of the country understood the nature of the impending crisis and worked to minimize his carbon footprint.