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'.
On 11th March 2022, 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM IST
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.
TERI, with the support of Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (SSEF), is organising a virtual event on decarbonising the urban freight sector in India.
When countries negotiate climate action at high-profile international forums, local perspectives and leadership largely remain on the sidelines. According to UN predictions, by 2050, 75% of the world’s population would reside in urban areas. As a result, local leadership and governance will have an increasingly significant global impact, writes Rhea Srivastava, Research Associate, Transport and Urban Governance Division, TERI. As part of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a sustainable and resilient urban future is a global goal.
Indian Railways has laid down an ambitious action plan to achieve 3000 MT loading by 2027. Railways being the most efficient mode of transport, modal shift to railways is crucial in achieving desired emission reduction and India's Nationally Determined Contributions targets. To scale up freight loading onto Indian Railways (IR), it is necessary to optimise the turnaround time - time when the wagon becomes available for the next loading. IR should augment more investment for developing efficient terminals.
TERI and International Council for Clean Transportation have lauded the Delhi government's action plan to install 18,000 new charging stations by 2024, noting that similar strategies can be replicated in other states for supporting widespread adoption of electric vehicles.
India aims to achieve 30% EV share in total vehicle sales by 2030. Several initiatives, schemes, and guidelines have been issued by various central ministries and think-tanks to boost the three as - Awareness, Acceptance and Adoption - of EVs. It is believed that cities will eventually become the engines of growth for the EV sector; green shoots of development in this direction are already being seen.
To understand the relevance of the AFTO policy, we must look at the automobile freight history of the railways. The Indian railways have been transporting motor vehicles for a long time. Personal vehicles, military vehicles, and tanks, among others, were carried in specially designed wagons, generally by passenger or military trains.
Mr I V Rao, Senior Visiting Fellow, TERI, said that two-wheelers in India have always been considered as the key vehicle segment, where EV transition could take place faster than in any other segment.
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.
One of the key strategies in the Union Budget 2022 for increasing rail freight market share, aims at facilitating the integration of smaller goods through seamless solutions and multimodal logistics facilities at cargo terminals. Despite an increase in railways' market share to 45% by 2030, a key transport decarbonization strategy for India, it continues to exhibit a gradual decline due to a variety of reasons.
Railways has often been termed as the "backbone of the economy", facilitating passenger and freight transportation to the length and breadth of the country. In recent years, railways has experienced a constant decline in the freight business, resulting in a growing concern for railway finances and National Decarbonisation Targets.
In Chennai, auto rickshaws constitute 40% of all transport vehicles and 58% of passenger transport vehicles. The share of auto-rickshaws has increased from practically zero in 1970 to over 6% in 2008.
The urban transportation landscape is likely to undergo significant changes due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Increased risks associated with crowded places combined with social distancing measures in public and shared transport are likely to affect modal choices of commuters. Urban freight needs may also alter with the change in the use of e-services. To assess the likely nature of such a shift, an online survey was conducted, which was designed to elicit the perceptions of respondents related to work trips, online grocery shopping, and food delivery pre and post COVID-19.
