In this OpEd in The Hindu, Namati’s Manju Menon and Kanchi Kohl question the Indian government’s announcement, ahead of the Paris climate talks, that it will create new forest cover to absorb billions of tons of CO2.
It is a strategy that ignores India’s indifferent success in the past when it comes to afforestation projects and one in isolation from planned ‘clean’ energy through nuclear, ‘clean’ coal and hydro power projects – which all eat into existing forest cover.
Moreover the forest strategy pays no heed to the often marginalised communities who rely on forests for their homes and resources.
Read the full OpEd on The Hindu’s website.