Global warming has resulted from rising average atmospheric temperatures, leading to significant changes in Earth's climate and weather systems. As humans continue to release heat-trapping greenhouse gases (GHGs), these changes accelerate. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is the most critical anthropogenic greenhouse gas due to its abundance and ability to linger in the atmosphere for thousands of years.
CO₂ emissions come from both natural sources and human activities.
- Natural Sources: The exhalation of CO₂ by multicellular organisms, including humans, contributes to the natural CO₂ cycle.
- Anthropogenic Sources: Human activities such as transportation, power generation, and urbanization significantly increase CO₂ emissions.
With buildings accounting for over a third of overall energy consumption in both developed and developing countries, efforts to reduce CO₂ emissions are critical. Strategies include:
- Energy conservation
- Sustainable urban planning
- Implementation of methods to decrease potential emissions.
Governments worldwide are increasingly acknowledging the impacts of climate change, exemplified by initiatives like the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. Recent international gatherings, including COP26, emphasize collaborative efforts to mitigate damage caused by climate change.
In commitment to the vision of our Honourable Prime minister, GRIHA Council has initiated a drive towards a zero-carbon mission "Decarbonizing Habitat Program". This program would enable an organization/ company/ industry to estimate its current carbon footprint and adopt cost effective strategies that will help in reducing the footprint in the future.