NEWS – A report by CSTEP (Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy) projects Karnataka’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions could exceed 400 million tonnes (MT) by 2050 under a business-as-usual scenario.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Titled “Namma SAFARI: Low-Carbon Development Pathways for Karnataka,” the report emphasizes emissions can be cut to ~50 MT through targeted interventions.
• Namma SAFARI is Karnataka’s first integrated system dynamics model covering six sectors: energy, transport, industry, buildings, agriculture, and land use.
• Karnataka’s population is projected to surpass 75 million and GSDP to reach ₹128 lakh crore (2011 prices) by 2050.
• In the buildings sector, electricity demand could hit 40% of total use. Low-carbon solutions like passive cooling, green construction, rooftop solar, and enforcing ECBC & ENS can reduce this by 25%.
• The industry sector, the largest electricity consumer, can cut emissions via green cement/steel mandates and preferential pricing.
• Agriculture’s 30% electricity use drops to zero in a low-carbon path using off-grid solar irrigation.
• Promoting millets, pulses, oilseeds through expanded MSP coverage (currently 8%) supports sustainability.
• In transport, shifting 33% freight to rail by 2030 saves 50 crore litres of diesel/year; EV adoption will double power demand to ~54.5 TWh by 2050.