By Chandana Sasidharan
The latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that human influence has changed the climate at an unprecedented rate. Actions for limiting carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) are critical in the years ahead. The world emits 50 billion tonnes of GHG every year and 73.2% of those emissions are caused by the energy sector encompassing electricity, heat, and transport. The impact of mobility on climate change demands introspection, particularly in developing nations like India, where emissions have not peaked yet.
Globally, the decarbonisation of transportation is underway through multiple pathways, including direct electrification and indirect electrification through hydrogen. While the transport sector contributes to about 30% of CO2 emissions from developed countries, in the case of India, the relative share reported by International Energy Agency for 2019 is only about 13%. This is not surprising given that the per capita vehicle ownership in India (30 vehicles for every 1000 people) is way below the developing nations (797 vehicles for every 1000 people).
The historical contributions from the transport sector in India are meagre in comparison with the emission-intensive economies. Nevertheless, the developing countries must not emulate the models of unsustainability practiced by the developed world. It is commendable that India has lofty goals for clean mobility, which is iterated in the programs and policies.
Air quality
Apart from CO2, the climate impact of the transport sector needs consideration as it is a leading contributor to the short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs). These include aerosols, particulate matter, and gases which are also air pollutants, particularly important for India.
The World Air Quality Report shows that 22 out of 30 most polluted cities are in India in 2020. As per ICCT, the global transportation-attributable premature deaths from vehicle tailpipe emissions in 2015 were around 385,000 and India ranked 2nd in the list. SCLFs are powerful heat-trapping elements that play a role in increasing temperatures in cities.
The IPCC report predicts that the changes in SLCF emission will cause warming and the warming from GHGs. Therefore, reliance on fossil fuel-based transport will continue to contribute to climate change from both the GHGs and air pollutants~
An interesting observation from the IPCC report is that changes in aerosols over the historical period led to surface cooling, partly negating the GHG driven warming. The IPCC report predicts that the changes in SLCF emission will cause warming and the warming from GHGs. Therefore, reliance on fossil fuel-based transport will continue to contribute to climate change from both the GHGs and air pollutants.
Importance of transition to clean mobility
Needless to say, that transition to clean mobility is critical for climate action. The US, after a period of diminished climate mitigation efforts, is now proactively reinstating the fuel efficiency norms. The Biden Administration is about to set an ambitious goal of 50% of vehicle sales to be electric by 2030.
In China, under the New energy automobile development plan (2021-2035), pure electric vehicles are expected to become the mainstream idea. It expects to reduce the average power consumption of electric cars to 12kWh/100 km by 2025 while significantly improving the convenience of charging and swapping services.
For India to meet its climate commitments, there is an inevitable need to integrate climate information and consumer awareness as powerful tools to support the transition to clean mobility. One of the most effective ways to nudge the transport sector for a sustainable future is to influence consumer purchases towards less polluting vehicle models.
Influencing consumer choices starts with ensuring the availability of reliable and straightforward information – on the impacts of pollutants and CO2 emissions. Information tools like Green Vehicle Rating (GVR) that create evidence-based awareness in consumers and shift their demand towards greener variants that rely on low emissions technology and high fuel economy can help achieve the goal of clean mobility.
Note: The author is Principal Research Associate, AEEE.
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