NITI Aayog-WRI launch forum for decarbonisation

• The forum has been launched by NITI Aayog and Water Resource Institute to create a platform to develop uniform policies to reduce carbon emissions from the transport sector by promoting electric vehicles.
• The ‘Forum for Decarbonizing Transport’ was launched as part of the NDC-Transport Initiative for Asia (NDC-TIA) project.
• India is currently engaged in building a domestic renewable automotive industry.

Transport sector and Carbon emissions:

• India has a massive and diverse transport sector, which is also the third most CO2 emitting sector.
• Data suggests that within the transport sector, road transport contributes to more than 90% of the total CO2 emissions.
• Through various policy measures and initiatives, Government is continuously working towards the decarbonisation of road transport, with a major focus on the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the country.
• NITI Aayog is working for promotion of EVs and sustainable mobility through the National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage.
• However, to leverage and streamline EVs across the country, there is a need to create a favourable ecosystem for different stakeholders.
• These stakeholders include Central/state Governments, state-designated agencies, financial institutions, businesses, OEMs, research and technical institutes, private bodies and think tanks.
• A coordinated effort between these stakeholders will help enable investment, encourage adoption, and ensure fair operation in the industry.
• NDC-TIA India component focuses on developing a coherent strategy of effective policies and the formation of a multi-stakeholder platform for decarbonizing transport in the country.

NDC Transport Initiative for Asia (TIA 2020-2023)

• It is a joint programme of seven organisations that will engage China, India, and Vietnam in promoting a comprehensive approach to decarbonizing transport in their respective countries.
• The project is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).

International Climate Initiative (IKI)

• It is a programme by Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMU), Germany running since 2008.
• It has been financing climate and biodiversity projects in developing and newly industrialising countries, as well as in countries in transition.
• Based on a decision taken by the German parliament (Bundestag), a sum of at least 120 million euros is made available for use by the initiative annually.