CARBON CREDITS FROM WINDROW COMPOSTING OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE: A CASE STUDY OF CHANDIGARH, INDIA

High greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission is mainly due to landfilling, thus solid waste compostingsector creates significant opportunities for carbon mitigation which could eventually becometradable carbon credits. The paradigm of ‘waste to energy, mitigation of carbon and itssequestration is relegated to a secondary level which conversely results in India discarding 68.8million tonnes in landfills and comes third after China and US in total GHGs emissions. Food, Fruit,and Green waste constitute a copious and ubiquitous waste stream of municipal solid wasteglobally in escalating population and erratic urbanisation. The present study is a case studyinitiated in Chandigarh to high light the concept of carbon credit opportunities and to discuss theadept schemes for successful co-composting of green waste and kitchen waste with a mechanismto mitigate carbon leakage in the developing countries. The study credited with 346 carbon creditsand 564 quintals organic compost worth 8.71 and 16 lakhs respectively.