Goa MSMEs can cut 8,000–10,000 tonnes CO2 a year, IIT Ropar audit finds

The audits were conducted by IIT Ropar’s Centre of Research for Energy Efficiency and Decarbonization in partnership with Goa’s directorate of industries, trade and commerce

Panaji: Goa’s small and medium industries could cut 8,000–10,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually through targeted efficiency measures, according to an audit of about 300 units conducted by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar’s Centre of Research for Energy Efficiency and Decarbonization (CREED).

The audits mapped energy and water consumption patterns in local industries, uncovering often-overlooked operational wastage. (Representative photo)

The audits, conducted in partnership with the state’s directorate of industries, trade and commerce, mapped energy and water consumption patterns in local industries, uncovering often-overlooked operational wastage. Each audit produced an investment-grade project report detailing corrective measures, technology upgrades, and process optimisations.

“Our work with Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs under the RAMP program will show how targeted interventions can reshape industrial performance. By combining advanced research with on-ground support, we will help enterprises become cost-efficient, resource-conscious and future-ready,” director of IIT Ropar Rajeev Ahuja said.

CREED coordinator Manigandan S said that the Centre’s audit methodology is designed to be both practical and transformative. “We focus on solutions that industries can implement immediately, while also preparing them for long-term sustainability. The response from Goa’s MSMEs has been extremely encouraging.”

If achieved, the CO2 savings would be equivalent to offsetting emissions from 1,600 to 2,000 passenger cars annually—based on the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) benchmark of 5 tonnes of CO2 per vehicle per year—or to the CO2 absorption capacity of planting approximately 360,000 to 450,000 mature trees, using established estimates of 22 kg of CO2 absorbed per tree per year.

According to officials involved in the project, the audits are helping MSMEs address long-standing challenges, ranging from excessive fuel and electricity consumption to inefficient water management and outdated machinery. Many units, they said, are able to identify high-impact, low-investment improvements within days of CREED’s assessments.

Previously, CREED has delivered similar solutions in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Haryana. In Punjab, where the Centre has been closely involved, CREED-led initiatives have already proposed more than 49,000 tonnes of annual CO2 reductions, according to the IIT Ropar data.