The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) recently conducted a rigorous, comparative study of the impact of urban commuting on carbon emissions and energy consumption in major Indian cities. The research titled ‘The Urban Commute and How it Contributes to Pollution and Energy’ scrutinized 14 of India’s most populous cities including their carbon dioxide emissions, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and energy usage.
An essential part of the analysis involved understanding how people’s commuting habits contribute to pollution and energy wastage. Using a dual approach, the study ranked cities based on their overall emissions and energy consumption, as well as per-person trip emissions and energy consumption.
Key Factors Influencing Emission Levels and Energy Consumption
The CSE identified several significant determinants that influence the emission levels and energy usage in these cities. These include the level of motorization, travel demand relating to population, usage of different transport modes such as public transport, personal vehicles, cycling, and walking. The average length of daily travel trips and the quality of vehicle technologies and fuels also play crucial roles.
Low Emission Cities: Reasons and Examples
Cities with a lower population, fewer vehicles, and lesser distance traveled by these vehicles generally exhibit lower overall emissions. Implementing robust bus and bicycle programs can bring about a significant reduction in carbon emissions. This is evident in cities like Bhopal, Kolkata, and Mumbai, which emit relatively less due to high public transport usage and walking.
Kolkata’s short travel distances owe to its compact city design, high street density, and limited availability of land for roads and parking. Despite having a high-income population, Mumbai’s dependence on automobiles is limited due to well-integrated public transport systems with existing land-use patterns.
The Challenge of High Emission Cities
High population cities such as Delhi, despite having a high share of public transport trips, struggle with high overall emissions and fuel use. These high numbers are a direct result of the city’s enormous population, hefty volume of travel and personal vehicles, and significant trip distances. Other megacities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai also grapple with poor scores due to their lower public transport usage.
Emerging Concerns
India experiences an alarming increase in greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector. Urban traffic contributes to a significant amount of health-damaging toxic substances. Growing dependence on personal vehicles for urban commuting could lead to irreversible negative trends and severe damage.
The Path Forward
Cities that prioritize public transport, compact urban forms, and short travel distances emit fewer greenhouse gases and toxic pollutants, contributing to energy conservation. For clean and low carbon mobility, it is imperative for cities to formulate policies to restrict urban sprawl, reduce commute distances, promote integrated public transport, walking, cycling, and limit the use of personal vehicles to mitigate pollution and counter the looming climate crisis.
