For a person of his stature, Dr. Panigrahi was more than just humble and down-to-earth. He was approachable and of a jolly disposition; quite an interviewer’s delight.

Earning Carbon Credits in the Green Building sector is the focus of Carbon Minus India (CMI), New Delhi - of which Dr. Panigrahi is Director General. Broadly, the CMI is a body engaged in stabilizing the overall climate of the Earth.

Dr. Panigrahi talked of the criticality of five major points to be kept in mind while creating a building. These were achievement of energy efficiency, water efficiency, the use of green building material, correct building orientation and good landscaping. A builder must be able to get back at least one-fourth to one-third of his investment by earning carbon credits.

While there was no dearth of energy-efficient building materials and equipment, it is imperative that one chooses the right mix and quality of these all-important components of a building, said Dr. Panigrahi. He then spoke with great optimism about glass, much to our delight.

If the right type of glass is used in the right manner in a building, a significant amount of greenhouse gas emission can be reduced, apart from saving the earth from global warming and earning carbon credits, he said.

Watch the video to know more about earning carbon credits and the use of glass to aid this end.

Also follows is a profile of Dr. Panigrahi.

Dr. Srikanta K Panigrahi has obtained his formal degree in Civil Engineering and then received other degrees in Environment Planning, Management & Business Administration from credible Universities of India and abroad including Technical University of Dresden (TUD), Germany and School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi. He was also an UNEP/ UNESCO Fellow, where he delivered Guest Lectures in five prestigious Universities of Europe at Humburg, Dresden, Prag, Vienna and Zurich.

He has worked for several Organizations of national and international importance, especially with Government of India and the United Nations. In fact, He was the Member-Secretary of a prestigious Working Group at Planning Commission, to prepare the historic “National Action Plan for Operationalising Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in India“, under the Kyoto Protocol, in the instances of Indian Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Moreover, he has been representing the country in the Climate Change Negotiations of non-Annex (Developing) Countries in Conference of Parties (COPs), where he specializes on “Climate Change & Development Issues”.

Dr Panigrahi is known as "Chief Architect of Indian Carbon Market "; who was instrumental to initiate Kyoto in India, the entire UNFCCC CoP Process, Climate Change Negotiations and DNA formation and subsequently as it's Member to implement the National Action Plan, which he formulated and Operationalized CDM and it is only because if his personal pursuance and Leadership initiatives; India was first starter of CDM, among developing World and could emerge as Global CDM Leader.

Dr Panigrahi is also awarded National Science Popularisation Award from hon’able Prime Minister of India in 2004-05; for his extraordinary contribution and commitment to popularize Science among common mass, who is working in the areas of Environment Protection, Energy Conservation and Sustainable Development for last more than 21 years.