Vulnerable Transport System

Low Carbon Green Growth Roadmap for Asia and the Pacific

Case Study

Vulnerable Transport System Leads to Adverse Climate Change

Mrinmoy Das

“India’s transport sector is large and diverse; it caters to the needs of 1.1 billion people. In 2007, the sector contributed about 5.5 percent to the nation’s GDP, with road transportation contributing the lion’s share.

Good physical connectivity in the urban and rural areas is essential for economic growth. Since the early 1990s, India's growing economy has witnessed a rise in demand for transport infrastructure and services.

However, the sector has not been able to keep pace with rising demand and is proving to be a drag on the economy. Major improvements in the sector are required to support the country's

These in turn are to affect livelihoods and leads to human health concern, as some of the diseases are propagated by vectors that are climate dependent.

The Government of India first defined its policy for climate change in June 2008 through a

National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). The eight missions covered in this action plan were considered with a view to design strategies for adaptation to climate change that would ensure and enhance ecological sustainability and explore solutions towards more efficient green technologies. For translating national policies into action, especially at sub regional level, and decentralizing NAPCC objectives into local context, the role of the States in India is important to implement any policy of the central government business issues concern.

I am living in Kolkata since 1998, which was far less pollutant than today. India has 27 polluted cities out of world’s 100 cities in 2011 and the city stands in its 17 th place on the country. Kolkata exhibits the widest range of public transport system such as age old buses are the principal means of public transport in metropolitan and even its

Air pollution caused by automobiles, buses, and growing hazardous industrial emissions is severe and efforts are being made to cut down the automobile emissions by imposing stricter standards and carbon taxes need to early switch over to cleaner fuels.

Beyond measurable carbon emission, at present day climate change vulnerability in

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Kolkata city area is really crucial due to mismanagement of transport ecosystem followed by corrupt political environment and lack of efficient (good) governance.

Asia’s motorized transport emissions have become a significant contributor to the global problem of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions which leads to climate change accordingly.

In 2009, transport was responsible for 23% of global GHG emissions compared with 41% for energy. But by 2035 transport is expected to become the single largest GHG emitter accounting for 46% of global emissions, and by 2050 it is set to reach 80%. Emissions from transport are the fastest growing source of CO 2 emissions, with the vast majority of projected increases expected to come from developing Asia. In 2006, Asia accounted