Villagers in South India who were using biomass as a source of cooking fuel never realised that they are preventing a sizeable amount of carbon from being emitted into the atmosphere. And now, there is a reward for them in terms of carbon credit. The Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), North America’s only private integrated greenhouse gas emission registry, has tied up with Antyodhya, the Indian NGO and Bangalore-based Foretell Business Solutions Private Limited for giving carbon credits based on the emissions prevented by the use of biomass. Under the programme, each villager will earn a minimum of Rs 800 per year for offsetting carbon emissions.

“We are going to start with bio-energy project and over the years expand to other renewable energy projects too. We have found that under this project, more than 300,000 tonnes of carbon emissions will be controlled, which means a big amount for the villagers. The project has a unique potential to act as a catalyst for environmental change at the grassroots, while proving to be a valuable source of income,’’ said Michael J. Walsh, Senior Vice-President of CCX.

These emission offset credits will be generated from various sustainable development and renewable energy projects across rural India and sold on the CCX electronic marketplace for greenhouse gas emissions trading. In the pilot project, around 20,000 farmers in Kerala will get an additional income by obtaining carbon credits since they are using bio-gas plants instead of non-renewable sources of energy like kerosene.

Under the Clean Development Mechanism of the United Nations’ Kyoto Protocol, establishments who use technologies that prevent carbon emissions, can earn credit from those in developed countries who are not able to do so. “It is for the first time that villagers in India will benefit from the CDM for something that is done by them at such a basic level. We have already become a member and the official procedure of CDM is underway,” said Peter Thettayil, executive director of Antyodhya.

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