With massive potential available in the carbon credit system and many companies and NGOs showing interest to explore Meghalaya as a potential area, Chief Secretary Donald P Wahlang has emphasised on the need to follow procedure.
Speaking at the inauguration of a three-day ‘Workshop on Training on Forest Certification and Carbon Credit’ here today, he said it is important so that everyone knows what everyone else is doing in the field.
Referring to a company without naming it as “a company which manufactured vaccines”, he said the company had not come forward to the state government but had started its office in the state to implement its afforestation programme with an investment of Rs.400 crores in the state.
Later after the inauguration program ended, when Highland Post asked whether he was referring to the vaccine company, AstraZeneca, he said “yes”.
There were several reports in the press about this company planning to invest and that Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had already attended some functions held by the company. But it seems there is nothing officially notified with the State government, which is the least protocol expected. It is mainly focused on the areas in the Garo Hills Districts.
It may be mentioned that the European drug major last year announced a USD 71 million funding to plant and maintain an estimated 64 million plants and trees in the country, primarily in the ecologically fragile Meghalaya.
The funding is part of its global forest programme, under which it has committed to plant 200 million trees across six continents by 2030.
Wahlang said that carbon credit based investments are after all investments where the investors are looking for profit too.
He urged the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) of the state to be careful while dealing with the paperwork as it is a complicated subject.
“I want that ADCs be careful and whatever they’re doing to be careful. They should share all details of the project with the community and the process of agreement with the stakeholders must be transparent and for all to see,” he added.
He also said that other companies are also homing down on Meghalaya which has big potential in the carbon credit market, provided the state manages to produce its own experts.
The workshop is being organised by the Forest and Environment Department in collaboration with the Network for Certification and Conservation of Forests (NCCF), New Delhi to sensitise the participants about forest certification, carbon credits and other standards, such as ecotourism, quality planting material, etc.
The objective of the training on carbon credits is to build the capacity of Forest Department officials and other stakeholders in developing proposals for carbon credits and registering them on Carbon Registry-India and other credible registries.
While the objectives of the training on forest certification is to acquaint the participants with various processes involved in the area, such as gap assessment, internal audits, identifying and maintaining the necessary documentation, etc.
