Munich Re Foundation From Knowledge to Action
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Hydro power dam

Carbon offset project 2019: Clean energy from hydropower in India

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    The projects, conferences and also the business activities of the foundation inevitably generate CO2 emissions. These are recorded in the form of a carbon footprint and compensated with the help of a compensation project. For 2019 we support the Kinnaur hydropower plant in India by purchasing CO2 certificates.

    The selected project is located on the Satluj River in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. As a run-of-river power plant, the project uses the river's natural watercourse to generate energy - there is no reservoir in which the water is temporarily stored. Since run-of-river power plants do not require a dam or reservoir, they do not cause the negative environmental impact often associated with larger dam projects. Run-of-river power plants are therefore a good compromise between the use of a natural potential and the least possible impact on the environment and local residents.
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    The Kinnaur hydropower plant generates clean energy without causing the negative environmental impact often associated with larger dam projects.

    The entire electricity generated by the power plant is fed into the North Indian transmission grid, replacing conventionally generated electricity, mainly from coal-fired power plants. Thus, hydropower offers an alternative to emission-intensive fossil fuels. The total annual reduction in emissions amounts to 3,540,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalents. In addition, the hydropower plant can contribute to the reduction of air pollution by reducing dependence on fossil fuels. This is a major problem in India: 11 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are located there. Thus, the project actively contributes to the health of the population as well as to climate protection by reducing emissions.

    We ourselves offset the emissions from the foundation’s events amounting to 1,000 tonnes of CO2. The remaining emissions from office operations and staff travel (around 56 tonnes) are offset by our founder, Munich Re.

     

    Further details:

    Verification:                                    TÜV NORD CERT GmbH

    Certificate type:                             Verified Carbon Standard

    Annual volume:                              3,540,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalents

    Partner:                                            firstclimate