Environment concerns increasingly becoming a development agenda

While automobiles are a key contributor to global emission, experts say the solution is in linking it to the economic agenda and creating a cohesive industrial policy.

By Sumana Sarkar

22 Apr 2021

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Environment concerns increasingly becoming a development agenda

Global leaders are getting together on World Earth Day, April 22 for the two-day Global Leadership Summit. While leaders brainstorm to way to reduce emission in this decade while also getting the public and private sector involvement, the need to show how climate action can have economic and social benefits is gaining prominence. As the world battles the Covid-19 pandemic, the world is increasingly veering towards ways to protect lives and livelihoods while adapting to climate change and net-zero emissions by 2050.

Automobiles are no doubt one of the biggest sources of pollution. Ground vehicles together contribute to more than 75 percent of transport emission and that in itself contributes nearly 17 percent of the world’s energy-related greenhouse gas emission. In this context, it is interesting to understand what are the top priorities for the automotive industry to make mobility solutions greener.

Top priorities for automobile industry

Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director - Research and Advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment considers, “this is emerging as a challenge for India and globally as well- We are currently at a crossroad- 2021 and the new decade. The whole environment issue is no longer a soft, fringe issue, it is a serious, global development and market issue today. The moment you start setting target for net zero and completely phasing out IC engine, it will surely have a transformative impact.”

She considers that it is important for Indian industry to realise and understand the opportunity there in the new generation regulations. She feels it is important to take a proactive view and be a strong partner in the rapidly changing competition scenario globally. According to her, “The focus therefore has to be on-

Real world performance of the IC engines a key priority agenda. There is need for lot more transparency in vehicle performance and more consumer information.
Understand the value of combining emission and fuel economy standards. Need to look at emission management and carbon management and agree to focus on maximising fuel efficiency gains across all vehicle segments.
Need ambition and policy vision in the overall electrification exercise. All of it has to be part of a central industrial policy. Zero emission transition and trajectory for electrification- needs to be part of a focussed industrial policy. Government needs to be a prime mover in terms of enabling the mechanism.”

She surmised the need for proactive all-inclusive and comprehensive policies that combine market requirements with developmental agenda as she signed off, “an Industrial agenda can no longer be delinked from the broad agenda for the future.”