STL conducts study on reduction of carbon emissions

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru:

In a study conducted by the Sustainable Transport Lab (IST Lab), section of the Indian Institute of Science, established that an amalgam of regulations such as economic and technological arbitration play an important role in the future of Bangalore.

The study was aimed at identifying the most effective combination of policies that impactfully serve the purpose of reducing vehicle kilometers travelled (VKT) alongside carbon emission intensity and emissions for the target years 2030 and 2050. The research was conducted by Harsha Vajjsrapu, Hemanthini Allirani and Ashish Verma and it focussed at the Evaluation of Climate Change Mitigation Potential of Sustainable Urban Transport Measures based in India.

In order to make comparisons and produce a comparative report, researchers used pre-existing data from 2008 in which comparisons with respect to before intervention and baseline land scenario were sited. As per the study, there are existing 32 policies for plans, regulations, inclusive of officials from BMTC, BBMP, Karnataka Pollution Control Board, Traffic police and citizen communities with economy and technology calculated by 23 stakeholders.

The evaluations were sited and grouped as per relevance of the policies and was stated under three ‘Policy bundles’ which consisted of bundle 4 (B4) which was introduced by keeping the policies of bundle three and subsuming the union government’s proposition for starting the intervention of electric buses and cars by 2030.

The study also found that bundle 4 was the most impactful in bringing the VKT and emissions down. Bundle B4 is a constitution of seven policies which provide levying of extra tax during vehicle purchase, no car roads, clogging pricing, construction of parking lots and riders, provisions for separate space for cyclists and pedestrians, encouragement for carpooling and different lanes especially for high occupancy vehicles, varied land use in terms of high density corridors which are believed to to positively affect the public transport system.

According to the evaluation released from the study, it was seen that the best emission reduction for pollutants was directed from B4- S4 (Bundle 4 Scenario 4) which ensured electrification entirely through renewable energy, it was also noticed that Carbon Dioxide (CO2) had been as high 80 percent and 90 percent for the years 2030 and 2050.