The State government is working towards formulating climate action plans at the level of individual gram panchayats, covering all 5,994 GPs and 314 urban local bodies across Karnataka, said T. Mahesh, director, Administration Department, Environmental Management and Policy Research Institute (EMPRI), Government of Karnataka.

He was delivering a special address at a conclave on ‘Advancing Sustainability: Collaboration and Innovation to Accelerate Net-Zero’, organised by the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC).

“Karnataka’s ambition is to make every gram panchayat a unit of climate accountability, where a farmer in Bidar and a panchayat leader in Kodagu both understand, own, and act on their role in India’s net-zero journey. We are not waiting for the world to change; we are building that change from the ground up to all the villages,” said Mr. Mahesh.

The Gram Panchayat-Level Climate Plan is a part of the Karnataka State Action Plan on Climate Change. The State has mapped 105 key performance indicators (KPIs) across 50 departments, from agriculture and horticulture to urban development, monitored monthly at the apex level by the Chief Secretary.

District-level training programmes on climate KPIs are already under way across the State.

Conclave and report release

The event, which brought together policy makers, industry leaders, sustainability experts, and corporate representatives, also saw the release of a report on ‘Collaboration, Innovation and Net-Zero Imperative’.

According to the report, net-zero acceleration requires the simultaneous deployment of technology, collaborative governance and Scope 3 supply chain discipline.

“Sustainability is not merely a corporate agenda discussed in boardrooms, but a personal responsibility that begins with each individual. Today, humanity consumes the earth’s yearly resources within just the first quarter of the year, meaning we are borrowing from future generations at an alarming pace,” said Prashant Gokhale, president, BCIC.

Coinciding with the conclave, BCIC members were awarded for their contribution and best practices in various categories of Sustainability through the Sustainability Awards 2026.