Tanishtha Gupta NetajiSubhasUniversityofTechnology

Low-carbon transportation and Efficient Logistics
- By TANISHTHA GUPTA
“Pollution should never be the price of prosperity”-AL GORE. Pollution has been an alarming
cause of global concern for quite a few decades now. Whereas countries and unions are
continuously taking measures to decrease pollution across the globe, the World Bank predicts
that global waste is set to increase to 3.4 billion tons by the year 2050.
Talking about India, it ranks as one of the most polluted countries in the world. Most of the
damage is caused by air pollution. The northern regions of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar
Pradesh had already been experiencing hazards of poisonous air, but now it has been extended
to most other states of our country as well. Greenhouse gases such as Carbon dioxide (CO2)
and Methane (CH4) are a major contributor to the air pollution. Hence, air pollution is also
measured in terms of these carbon/greenhouse emissions. People unknowingly inhaling smoke
poses numerous health hazards like chronic pulmonary diseases, immunological diseases and
cardiovascular problems. There are numerous causes of air pollution such as the burning of
fossil fuels, industrial emissions, transportation, wildfires etc. Transportation is one of the
major contributors to air pollution. Overall, it accounts for around 15% of the pollution in India,
and this makes it the third largest shareholder in terms of percentage after Construction work
(59%) and waste burning (17%).
According to a report by the International Energy Agency,

transport emissions have grown at an annual rate of 1.7%
from 1990 to 2022. Among the many transportation
and shipping options, cars and vans account for 48% of the
carbon emissions due to transport worldwide. Supply chain
management refers to managing the flow of goods, starting
from the raw material to the manufacturer and finally to the
consumer in the most efficient way. Transportation is one of
the crucial steps of SCM and comes under the category of
delivery and logistics. While we continuously see the increase Fig.-1 Estimated share of CO2
of vehicles on the road, there are many other forms of transport emissions in the transportation
as well which help in the shipping of goods even across borders sector worldwide in 2022, by
and seas. Shipment and logistics are primarily done by 4 modes, transport type-
that are truck, ship, train and plane. Some natural factors that Source: Statista.com and IEA
affect the transportation are physiography, distance, climate etc. On the other hand, human
factors that impact transportation are the economy, market, cost, requirement etc.
Urbanisation is one of the major causes of increasing transportation. With the flooding of
startups and the rise in the tourism sector, stakeholders tend to ignore the problems caused by
the rocketing levels of carbon and greenhouse emissions due to transportation. But it is a vital
issue not only for the present but also for the future generations.
Now, let’s look at the measures that can be taken for low-carbon transportation. Switching
towards sustainable and bio-friendly packaging material in logistics is a key step towards
reducing carbon emissions. It will help to make the packaging lighter which would in turn
minimize the weight of the goods and make logistics more efficient, also it will improve fuel
efficiency. Switching to green fuels or electric fuels must be promoted because they are carbon
neutral when burnt and significantly reduce emissions. Efficient and easily accessible public
transport is another step significant towards reducing pollution. If effectively used, commuters
can also save money on fuel and vehicle maintenance
costs. It is suggested that besides opting for large-scale
measures, numerous small steps can be taken at personal
levels as well. Beginning with checking the air filter and
tyre pressure of the vehicles regularly. Low tire pressure
increases the consumption of fuel which in turn raises
the CO2 emissions. The use of cycles and walking for
short-distance travel/transport, and car-pooling are some
Fig.-2 Steps to lower carbon emissions due other simple steps that one can adopt in daily life.
to the transport sector
Source- Teachoo.com
United Nations has set the target of 2050 to achieve net zero carbon emissions. The Indian
government has also taken numerous steps in this regard. Regarding transportation particularly,
electric vehicles have been widely popularized. Schemes have been implemented to bring down
the cost of electric vehicles (EV) and internal combustion engine vehicles (ICE). The Indian
Railways have also pledged to become a net zero emitter by the year 2030. Fuel consumption
norms are timely regularised for the betterment of fuel economy. The Energy Conservation
(Amendment)Bill, 2022 is one major step towards this cause. It empowers the Central
government to give a specific carbon credit trading scheme, in which designated consumers of
different sectors like transport and manufacturing will be required to meet a percentage of their
energy needs from non-fossil fuel sources. Green fuels, also known as electric fuels or biofuels
are a one-stop solution that can solve most carbon emission-related problems. The International
Solar Alliance (ISA) declared that it will set up the Green Hydrogen Innovation Centre (GHIC).
This will support the production and trade of green hydrogen. The government aims at making
India the refuelling hub of green hydrogen and methanol for the logistics sector.
As it is rightly said that ‘Prevention is better than cure’, therefore besides implementing these
strategies on the already urbanised and industrial areas, planning must be done beforehand for
the areas which are being urbanised gradually. Densely planned cities or towns can save time
and reduce transportation distances. It will also make the place more accessible by walking, as
journeys will shorten. But this step requires very efficient and high-level organizational
planning so that the city is not congested. Electric vehicles’ battery replacement and charging
stations must be placed at different locations across cities to make the use of EVs more
convenient. E-bike stations placed at different points across the cities and universities also help
in mobility and transportation. This reduces the last-mile carbon emissions. Companies should
aim to keep their production and supply units closer, eliminating the additional transportation
chains and ensuring that transportation is needed only for delivering goods to the customer. By
using streamlining processes and route optimization i.e. using the most cost-efficient route,
companies can enhance their supply chain techniques as well as reduce their carbon footprints.
Implementation of these policies and strategies requires widespread cooperation. Hence raising
awareness for these schemes is very crucial. At the school and college level, Students must be
made familiar with these practices and their implementation. This will inculcate in them a sense
of responsibility and duty for the environment. Partnerships with NGOs can help the mass
popularisation of public transport and also educate people about why must they follow these
steps. If people understand the importance of taking these small measures, they will naturally
implement them in their day-to-day lives.
While this article focuses on just one minor aspect of the many causes of pollution, but by
focusing one by one, we can try to successfully eliminate all other factors as well. The multitude
of advancements made in every field will go in vain if the present and future generations are
not able to benefit from them. This takes us back to the quotation at the start of the article,
which rightly states that pollution must never be paid as the price for prosperity.
Author Details:
Name: TANISHTHA GUPTA
Institute: Netaji Subhas University of Technology
Email ID: tanishtha2305@gmail.com
Contact: 9667253437

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Low-carbon transportation and Efficient Logistics

According to a report by the International Energy Agency,

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