Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal said all government departments would introduce carbon audit system and recast their strategies so as to reduce environmental impact and carbon emissions.

Delivering the presidential address at the workshop organised on ‘Climate Change: Perspective and Opportunities in context of HP’ by the Department of Environment, Science and Technology here today he stressed the need for taking steps to off set the negative impact of carbon emissions. “Environment protection is not just the responsibility of the Departments of Forest and Environment but everyone, including the PWD, IPH, Power and others would be accountable for ensuring that they do not cause any damage by way of dumping of muck and debris or affecting vegetation,” he remarked.

He also stressed the need for creating environment fund with the active participation of people from all walks of life to generate funds to carry out environment protection activities in the state. Dhumal said it was not just the question of getting carbon credits, but the need was to change the mindset and make a conscious effort to ensure that carbon footprints are reduced at every level.

Forest and environment minister J.P. Nadda said the state had taken up the issue of setting up a Regional Centre for Monitoring of Glaciers in the state with the Central Government to carry out the impact of climate changes. “The proposed bio-carbon project would be treating 12,000 hectares of land in 281 panchayats where board-leaved plants would be planted to absorb carbon gases after four years of plantation,” he said.