Shimla | Feb 23, 2026
Himachal Pradesh will take a fresh look at climate action tomorrow with the release of a Scientific Assessment Report on “Tackling Non-CO₂ Emissions: Pathways for Himachal Pradesh”.
It is a document aimed at explaining and addressing climate pollutants that often escape public attention but cause serious damage to the Himalayas.
The report will be released by Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu at the HP Secretariat in Shimla.
The event is being organised by the Department of Environment, Science, Technology and Climate Change in collaboration with the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD).
Most people associate climate change only with carbon dioxide. However, scientists warn that several other pollutants—known as non-CO₂ emissions—are equally, and sometimes more, dangerous.
These include methane from waste and agriculture, black carbon or soot from vehicles and biomass burning, cooling gases used in air-conditioners and refrigerators, and ground-level ozone.
Unlike carbon dioxide, these pollutants stay in the atmosphere for a shorter time, but they trap heat far more intensely.
Methane, for example, warms the planet much faster than CO₂, while black carbon speeds up the melting of glaciers by settling on snow and ice.
For a Himalayan state like Himachal Pradesh, this means shrinking glaciers, unpredictable snowfall, rising temperatures and a higher risk of disasters such as landslides and flash floods.
The assessment report explains where these emissions are coming from within Himachal Pradesh. The major sources include transport, garbage dumping and waste processing, traditional cooking fuels, brick kilns, agriculture practices and cooling systems.
The report will also suggest practical steps that can reduce these emissions quickly, while at the same time improving air quality and public health.
IGSD, which has been working in India on climate and clean air solutions, has helped prepare the scientific roadmap, officials said.
The organisation focuses on measures that deliver fast results—such as cutting methane leaks, reducing soot emissions and promoting climate-friendly cooling—especially in vulnerable regions like the Himalayas.
The initiative is aligned with the work of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), a global partnership supported by the United Nations Environment Programme.
The coalition works with governments worldwide to reduce short-lived climate pollutants that cause both climate warming and air pollution.
Through this report, the Himachal Pradesh government hopes to chart a clear path towards cleaner air, slower warming and safer mountains.
Officials say the state aims to reduce pollution from waste and transport, promote cleaner technologies, protect glaciers and attract green investments that also support local livelihoods.
A memorandum of agreement with bio-resource-based industries is also scheduled to be signed during the programme, highlighting the government’s attempt to link environmental protection with sustainable economic opportunities.
Himachal Pradesh is expected to join a small group of Indian states that are beginning to address climate change beyond carbon dioxide, focusing on solutions that can make a visible difference in the coming years—both for the environment and for people living in the mountains.
