India -Building Regional Institutional Capacities on SLCPs in the State of Punjab

Rationale

Punjab, as an agrarian state in India, contributes significantly to national methane emissions, with agriculture accounting for nearly 74% of the state’s methane output. Recognizing the urgent need to address short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), the Punjab State Council for Science & Technology (PSCST) has requested support to strengthen institutional capacities, implement techno-economic mitigation solutions, and build stakeholder skills to advance SLCP action.

The state has generated momentum through its report “Pathways to Net Zero in Punjab: The Critical Role of Non-CO₂ Pollutants” and its dual emissions strategy embedded under the State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC 2.0) and Vision 2047. Addressing SLCPs through targeted training, green skilling, and demonstration projects will accelerate SAPCC implementation, support emission reduction targets, and deliver co-benefits across agriculture, air quality, and health. This initiative will also contribute to India’s National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), and Low Carbon Development Pathway.

Objectives

• Enhance institutional capacity in Punjab to implement SAPCC 2.0 and integrate SLCP mitigation strategies across key sectors.
• Build technical expertise and skills among government officials and stakeholders for scalable, context-specific SLCP mitigation solutions.
• Establish a knowledge repository and training modules to support evidence-based planning, co-benefit tracking, and sectoral implementation of mitigation strategies.
• Facilitate policy consultations and recommendations to enable adoption of dual strategies addressing CO₂ and non-CO₂ emissions.

Activities

To achieve these objectives, the project will:

• Strengthen cross-sectoral institutional coordination under PSCST leadership, building the technical and operational capacity of stakeholders to implement SLCP mitigation within existing policy frameworks, including SAPCC 2.0.
• Deliver training to approximately 200 stakeholders across SAPCC-implementing departments on scalable, sector-specific techno-economic solutions for SLCP mitigation.
• Develop a Punjab-specific SLCP knowledge repository and training modules, providing guidance on mitigation pathways, co-benefit frameworks, and context-driven solutions for implementation departments.
• Conduct targeted capacity building for local institutions on SLCP estimation, mitigation planning, and co-benefit tracking to enable decentralized and effective planning.
• Organize expert-driven consultations to generate region-specific policy recommendations supporting the dual strategy of short-term non-CO₂ mitigation and long-term CO₂ reduction, facilitating integration into SAPCC 2.0 implementation.

Project Reference: [IN-24-001T] India -Building Regional Institutional Capacities on SLCPs in the State of Punjab