REDUCING FOOTPRINTS

August 24, 2018

A GUIDANCE FRAMEWORK FOR CLEAN AND LOW CARBON TRANSPORT IN KOLKATA

Road vehicle emissions are one of the most major sources of human exposure to air pollution. To curb the impact of pollution caused due to urban commuting, it is important to implement city-centric actions. Cities, sub-centers and growing urban nodes demand immediate mobility and transportation strategies for a livable, sustainable and energy-efficient future. It is essential that each city contributes towards the target of meeting clean air standards and the national target for Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) of reducing greenhouse gas emission intensity by 33–35 per cent by 2030.

Currently, the situation in Kolkata is extremely grim. In spite of its several advantages over other metro cities—high use of public transport, share of walk trips, and compactness of its urban form— Kolkata’s strength can get eroded if the issue of urban pollution is not recognized and dealt with in time.