Arunachal Pradesh has become India’s largest carbon sink, playing a vital role in the country’s climate action efforts, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said on Wednesday, July 2.
In a social media post as part of the ongoing ‘PEMA 3.0 – Year of Reforms and Growth’ campaign, Khandu highlighted that the northeastern state accounts for 14.38% of India’s total carbon sequestration — the process by which forests capture and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
With an impressive 79% forest cover, Arunachal Pradesh currently holds a carbon stock of 1,021 million tonnes — the highest among all Indian states. “This substantial carbon stock is essential for India’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070,” Khandu wrote, emphasizing the state’s ecological importance.
Describing Arunachal as the “lungs of the Himalayas,” the chief minister also sounded a note of caution, saying the visible impacts of climate change demand urgent and sustained mitigation efforts.
“Arunachal Pradesh plays a pivotal role in India’s journey towards net-zero emissions by 2070,” he reiterated in his post on X.
