The third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has established a strong linkage between anthropogenic activities and climate change. As is well known, a large part of the climate change phenomenon is attributable to the combustion of fossil fuels. While historically the developed countries have been responsible for emissions of greenhouse gases from fossil fuel usage the next few decades are likely to see consumption of fossil fuels increasing substantially in developing countries like India. The two major sectors contributing to this increase would be the transport sector and the household sector.
The purpose of this presentation is to analyse the trends in the growth of the transport sector and their impact on fuel consumption and thereby on energy security, greenhouse gas emissions and local air quality. The presentation will then address the life style changes and growth patterns that are necessary to meet mobility demands in a manner that is technology efficient and environment friendly. It will also provide a critical analysis of the policies of the Government of India aimed at achieving sustainable mobility and in reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases from fossil fuels.