Abstract:

It’s not hard to predict that if India continues as is, it will mean an unabated rise in vehicular activity. Large quantities of fossil fuel will be burned and it will generate massive amounts of CO₂ emissions. Indeed, the analysis of the Business as Usual (BAU) scenarios, which mostly project energy and CO₂ emissions considering only current trends and policies and expecting no further policy action, shows they all paint a grim picture of India’s road transport sector, without contradiction. In one way it’s heartening to see a high degree of coherence in the model forecasts, as they leave little room for debate about our predicament. But at the same time, it’s terrifying to realize that inaction could lead us into a hazy future, literally.