CSE Workshop Series on Transport and Climate

CSE organised a two-day Workshop series on the theme of 'Transport and Climate' on July 24 - 25, 2013 at Gulmohar Hall, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. India and the Asian region are experiencing rapid motorization. Not only our cities face health threatening pollution, they are also in the grip of severe oil guzzling in the transportation sector which is worsening climate and energy security risk. The objective of this workshop was experience sharing and interface with the national and international experts on the emerging strategies and regulations on clean vehicles and fuels, the link between urban land use planning and transportation planning to make the Indian roadmap more effective. Several Indian cities are now in the process of preparing climate action plan as well as clean air action plan to firm up strategies for reducing emissions and energy impacts of transportation. Globally cities are following divergent strategies including vehicles emissions and efficiency regulations, urban design interventions, direct measures to restrain personal vehicle numbers and usage to reduce automobility and secure environment and public health. Experts from the US, Europe, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Brazil shared their learning curve and experts from India captured the lessons and case studies from Indian cities.

This workshop series was a two-day event:
Vehicles: Taming emissions, fuel guzzling and warming on July 24: On the first day, July 24th the focus of the discussion was on vehicle technology and fuel quality roadmap, technology approaches needed to improve fuel efficiency of vehicles (cars, bus, trucks, two-wheelers etc) for fuel savings and to reduce CO2 emissions and climate impacts. This event captured the emerging lessons from the global regulatory initiatives and how India is planning to craft fuel economy regulations for vehicle segments for fuel conservation and also on the vehicle technology and fuel quality roadmap. Senior officials from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, experts from US and Europe, automobile and oil industry representatives and Automotive Research Association of India participated in this debate.

Designing cities for sustainable mobility on July 25: On the second, July 25th, the role of urban design interventions and car restraint measures to reduce automobility and environmental impacts were deliberated. The discussion focused on emerging approaches in urban design and planning interventions for sustainable mobility and evaluated transit oriented development models emerging in different cities of the world (Curitiba, Hong Kong, Singapore and European cities) including India (Delhi, Naya Raipur) to integrate land-use policies with transportation strategies for sustainable mobility.

This workshop series brought together the prominent international and national experts, regulators and civil society groups to discuss vehicle technology and mobility and emerging approaches in urban design and planning interventions to reduce energy and climate impacts of motorisation in Indian cities for sustainable mobility and environmental and societal benefits. It captured the learning curve to draw lessons for India and also the policy initiatives that have started in some Indian cities.

For details, contact:

Priyanka Chandola
Right To Clean Air Campaign, Centre for Science and Environment
Mobile: +91 – 9810414938
Email: priyanka@cseindia.org

Sakshi C. Dasgupta
Sustainable Building Programme, Centre for Science & Environment
Mobile: 9811910901
Email: sakshi@cseindia.org