NEWS

The Commonwealth Games are nearly half way through but the 'green calculators' - to calculate the carbon footprint during the mega sporting event - are yet to come up at the Games Village and six sporting venues.

Touted as the first 'green' Games, the organising committee had decided to set up green calculators at the Games Village and six venues where people can buy carbon credits to neutralise the harmful environmental effect of their activities.

The Commonwealth Games Organising Committee attributed the delay in setting up the green calculators to the environment ministry.

'We had to seek permission for the project from the environment ministry and there was some delay from them. I think in a day or two carbon calculators will be there,' Manjari Gopalan, project officer (environment and sustainability), told IANS.

An estimated 100,000 to 150,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are estimated to be emitted during the Oct 3-14 Games. The organising committee plans to motivate athletes, delegates, spectators and others to offset their carbon footprint by investing in clean energy projects.

Carbon footprint is the amount of carbon emitted by an activity.

A customised travel footprint calculator will also be installed at the Games Village and venues where people can come and calculate the carbon emission during their travel from their home to the Village or venues.

Those interested can offset an equivalent amount of emission by investing in clean development mechanism projects.

'The initiative will help neutralise carbon dioxide emissions during the Games,' CWG Organising Committee secretary general Lalit Bhanot had said, explaining the work undertaken by General Environment and Sustainability Division (GESD).

The basic idea of carbon offset is to figure out one's personal contribution to the global warming from activities such as driving, flying or home energy use. Carbon offsets help you take personal responsibility for the environmental consequences of your activities.