NDC-Transport Initiative for Asia

In News: NITI Aayog has launched the India Component of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)–Transport Initiative for Asia (TIA).

About NDC-Transport Initiative for Asia (TIA)

• Its objective is to promote a comprehensive approach to decarbonising transport through coherent policies and strategies, co-ordinated among ministries, civil society organisations and the private sector.
• It is being implemented by NITI Aayog in collaboration with the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU) under its International Climate Initiative (IKI).
• Its aim is to promote a comprehensive approach to decarbonize transport in India, Vietnam, and China.
• The programme has a duration of 4 years (2020-24).

Focus: The NDC–TIA India Component will focus on

• Strengthening GreenHouse Gas (GHG) and transport modelling capacities.
• Providing technical support on GHG emission reduction measures.
• Financing climate actions in transport.
• Offering policy recommendations on electric vehicle (EV) demand and supply policies etc.

Significance of NDC-Transport Initiative for Asia (TIA)

• It will allow India and other partner countries to achieve accountable long-term targets by making a sectoral contribution through various interventions, coordinated with a large number of stakeholders in the domain.
• It will contribute towards achieving their NDCs and increasing their ambition in the transport sector of 2025 NDCs.
• It will focus on establishing a multi-stakeholder dialogue platform for decarbonizing transport in India, strengthening GHG and transport modelling capacities.
• It is aimed at providing technical support on GHG emission reduction measures, financing climate actions in transport, offering policy recommendations on electric vehicle (EV) demand and supply policies, and evaluating business models through cost-benefit analyses.
• The programme aims at high ambition in the transport sector directly supporting the country’s NDC targets.

Need for such initiatives

• India has a massive and diverse transport sector that caters to the needs of billion people.
• It has the world’s second-largest road network, which contributes to maximum greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through all means of transportation.
• With increasing urbanisation, the fleet size i.e. the number of sales of vehicles is increasing rapidly.
• It is projected that the total number of vehicles will be doubled by 2030.

India’s Transport Sector

• India has the world’s second-largest road network, which contributes to maximum Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions through all means of transportation.
• With increasing urbanisation, the fleet size i.e. the number of sales of vehicles is increasing rapidly. It is projected that the total number of vehicles will be doubled by 2030.
• Therefore, the transition to a decarbonisation path for the transport sector in India is essential to achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement for 2050.