Promoting Low-carbon Transport in India

This project contributed to efforts by the Indian Government to transition towards low-carbon transport systems. India is currently the fourth largest GHG emitter in the world, with its transport sector being the second largest contributor of CO2 emissions. The project recognized the need to reduce transport emissions through adoption of a sustainability approach.  The outputs of the project include roadmaps developed with local stakeholders, Low-Carbon Mobility Plans for three cities, and a Network for Information Sharing and Co-ordination through the Project website. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) of Germany and implemented by UN Environment (UNEP) through UNEP DTU Partnership.

Promoting Low Carbon Transport in India was a major transport initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The project developed a network of expertise in transport planning, safety, social inclusivity, air pollution, and climate change. This crosscutting approach is used to assure that the benefits of low carbon transport solutions are informed by social and gender realities in India. However, in order to turn these sustainable ideas into reality, policy decisions need to be coordinated between stakeholders, the national government, and cities.

This is where the project has focused its energies: on providing the analysis and the know-how necessary to create an effective policy environment for low carbon transport on both a national and a city level. The project has, in a coordinated and systematic manner, integrated the climate agenda and its co-benefits into its promotion of sustainable transport development in India. In parallel, India has advanced on its low carbon development pathway. India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) spell out the specific role of the transport sector in reducing its emission intensity. The project has conducted detailed analysis and action plans on how to achieve India’s INDC targets.”