2-Feb-2022: Decarbonization of the Transport Sector

To promote eco-friendly means of transportation and decarbonize the transport sector, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has notified  mass emission standards to introduce alternate fuels viz. blends of ethanol with gasoline ( E-10, E-12, E-15, E-20), flex-fuel (E 85) or (E 100) and Ethanol blend for diesel vehicles (ED 95), Biodiesel, Bio-CNG, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Methanol M15 or M100 and Methanol MD 95,  dual fuel, M85 and Dimethyl Ether (DME or D100), Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle, Hydrogen CNG. 

Further, the steps taken by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways to adopt electric mobility in the country are as under:-

  1. For promotion of electric vehicles, Government has notified GSR 167(E) dated 1st March 2019 for retro-fitment of hybrid electric system or electric kit to vehicles and their compliance standards shall be as per AIS 123.
  2. Government vide G.S.R 749(E) dated 7th August, 2018, has notified  the registration mark for Battery Operated Vehicles to be in Yellow colour on Green background for the transport vehicles and, for all other cases, in White colour on Green background.
  3. Further, the Government, vide S.O. 5333(E) dated 18th  October, 2018, has also granted exemption to the Battery Operated Transport Vehicles and Transport Vehicles running on Ethanol and Methanol fuels from the requirements of permit.
  4. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways,  vide GSR 525(E) dated 2nd August, 2021 has exempted Battery Operated Vehicles from the payment of fees for the purpose of  issue or renewal of registration certificate and assignment of new registration mark.
  5. Ministry has issued an advisory dated 17th July, 2019 to all States and Union Territories regarding incentivisation of electric vehicles and induction of electric vehicles in shared mobility and public transport operations.
  6. The Government has issued an advisory dated 12th August, 2020 to all States and UTs regarding sale and registration of Electric Vehicles without batteries.
  7. The Government has issued an advisory dated 16th June, 2021 to all States and UTs regarding promotion of battery operated vehicles.

As per the third Biennial Update Report submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in February 2021, the total greenhouse gas (GHGs) emission from the transport sector in 2016 was 274.43 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, which is 9.67% of the total GHG emissions (without LULUCF i.e. Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry) of India. Further, the Government has taken various measures to curtail the CO2 emissions which are mentioned in part (a) of the reply.