Our work in the transport sector aims at low-carbon modes of transport that are sustainable and inclusive in nature. We have pioneered policy research in this sector with expertise in issues related to energy efficiency and emissions modeling. Among others, our focus areas include electric vehicles, railways, urban transport.
Trucks have gradually become a dominant mode of freight transport, replacing the railway, the traditional bulk commodity carrier. Crisscrossing through the country, trucks are responsible for nearly 40 percent of carbon emissions and air pollution in the urban areas.[1]
Global dependence on fossil fuels in the transport sector has been a key driver of climate change and air pollution. In India, motorized transport accounts for a large share of the country’s total GHG emissions. Therefore, the swift replacement of internal combustion engines (ICE Vehicles) with Electric Vehicles (EVs) is imperative to decarbonize India’s transport sector.
Roads and railways bind a nation and bring people together. They facilitate the achievement of SDGs, as without adequate mobility, SDGs cannot be achieved and sustained.
TERI's survey on consumer perception of electric vehicles (EVs) revealed that issues like upfront cost, battery replacement, and range anxiety are topmost concerns for people considering buying an EV.
In the post-COVID scenario, the predicted demand of the three-wheeler sector might increase and a shift of commuters from app-based taxies may be expected. To promote electric mobility in India, auto-rickshaws can play a vital role as frontrunners.
On 29th July 2022 | 09:30 AM - 10:30 AM
The event will see experts across sectors discuss the opportunities & need to shift the road transport sector to decarbonisation pathways along with the launch of a policy brief on 'Low Carbon Pathways for the Road Transport Sector in India'.
The 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), to be held from 1–12 November 2021 in Glasgow will aim to mobilize the action on mitigation, adaptation, and resilience, and strengthen the narrative for better alignment with sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Accelerating economic growth along with equitable recovery is fundamental to sustainable development and climate action. Under the presidency of United Kingdom in partnership with Italy, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), to be held from 1–12 November 2021 in Glasgow will aim at mobilising action on climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience, and aligning them with sustainable development goals.
With movement of newer types and greater volume of goods in future, as envisioned by the National Rail Plan, an independent regulator is imperative for PPP development and attracting private capital says Dr Rahul Chakraborty, Associate Fellow and Shri Prakash, Distinguished Fellow, Transport and Urban Governance, TERI.
For achieving a reasonable 45 per cent market share in the next 7-8 years, the Railways will have to log a CAGR of over 11 per cent in freight-loading. This will be possible only by launching aggressive marketing and competitive pricing policies along with the on-going capacity expansion programme.
The pace of electrification has increased significantly in the last few years. We are looking at a second consecutive year when the EV sales will clock the one million-plus mark. Some of the recurring challenges include low penetration and up-time of charging infrastructure and higher upfront cost of EVs said Mr Sharif Qamar, Associate Director, Transport and Urban Governance Division, TERI.
A complete switchover to electric vehicles and carbon-free electricity would reduce carbon emissions by over 55 per cent says Mr Ajay Shankar, Distinguished Fellow, TERI.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has launched a "CarbonLite Metro Travel" initiative for passengers to know how much carbon emissions they have saved while using the metro instead of petrol-fueled cars. "CarbonLite Metro Travel" was supported by research from the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), Delhi, that each kilometer travelled by metro train instead of road vehicles "results in a noteworthy reduction of 32.38 grams of CO2 emissions".
Indian Railways is making efforts towards low-carbon transport in passenger and freight segments.
India’s rapid urbanization and economic growth has accelerated both passenger and freight transport demands, which have led to the need for prioritizing adoption of low carbon technologies, also strengthening the country’s energy security.
India’s dependency on imported fossil fuels is mounting incessantly. The petroleum products consumption in the country has increased about 38.2% from the past decade, resulting in a substantial expenditure on oil imports.
India has the 2nd largest road network in the world. Amongst the different types of roads, the National Highways extending to 1,44,634 km has contributed significantly to India’s rapid economic development. The rapid pace of construction of highways is enabling integration of the local economies of far flung towns and villages into the national economy.
70% of total tonne-km of India's freight transport takes place via roads (TERI, 2015) and is dominated by medium and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs) with a share of around 60% and the remaining by light-duty vehicles (LDVs). Reduced emission levels from 'hard to abate' sectors such as medium/heavy-duty long-distance transport, aviation, and shipping will continue to be critical in the future. Sustained efforts in this direction are crucial to achieving emission intensity reduction targets globally and in India, as outlined in the country's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
India is the world’s third largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions. At present, India accounts for a significant multimodal road transport sector contributing approximately 10 per cent of country’s total CO2 emissions, making it the second most carbon emitting sector in the country. Driven by rising population, income, and urbanization, under a business-as-usual scenario, India’s energy demand from transport is projected to increase six fold in 2050 from current levels.
