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With the conclusion of COP30 in Belém, India can use its updated NDCs to elevate sustainable transport from a mitigation tool to a strategic pillar of climate-resilient development.
With COP30 having concluded in Belém, Brazil, nearly a decade after the Paris Agreement, the global climate agenda now enters an inflection point where ambition must translate into accelerated action. The Global Stocktake has underscored the widening gap between current trajectories and the pathways required to achieve the 1.5°C target, highlighting the urgent need for integrated approaches that bridge mitigation, adaptation, and equity.
Within this landscape, India’s transport sector occupies a pivotal space: both as a driver of development and a growing source of emissions. Accounting for roughly 10-12 percent of national energy-related CO₂ emissions, more than 90 percent of which is contributed by road transport, the sector epitomises the dual challenge of decarbonisation and mobility inclusion. For India’s enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which are due in 2025, sustainable transport must evolve beyond a mitigation instrument into a strategic pillar of climate-resilient development, one that integrates clean energy, digital innovation, and inclusive urban transitions. The key elements for inclusion in the forthcoming commitment must entail:
For India’s enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which are due in 2025, sustainable transport must evolve beyond a mitigation instrument into a strategic pillar of climate-resilient development, one that integrates clean energy, digital innovation, and inclusive urban transitions.
By formally embedding these targets within the country’s Long-term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS), transport can solidify its role as a key nexus for clean energy transition, digital innovation, and climate-resilient urbanisation.
Article 10 of the Paris Agreement emphasises technology development and transfer. COP30 has underscored the need to move beyond ad hoc technology exchange to a structured Global Technology Partnership for Sustainable Mobility, specifically designed to meet the distinct needs of the Global South. For India, this necessitates a dual strategic approach: not only must the nation effectively integrate advanced global technologies, but it must also pioneer and disseminate scalable, inclusive mobility frameworks specifically tailored to the requirements of developing economies. A robust assemblage of technological mechanisms will prove indispensable for both accelerating sustainable urban transit development and firmly embedding it within India’s forthcoming Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) structure. This concurrent path establishes India as both a principal recipient and a key originator of climate-resilient transport systems.
The formal creation of an international mechanism dedicated to EV standards offers significant benefits: it would streamline diverse technical regulations, effectively minimise transactional complexities for manufacturers and consumers, and critically, reinforce India’s engagement within the burgeoning global clean mobility supply chain.
The foundational step in this direction involves establishing interoperable technical standards for electric vehicles (EVs) and cultivating circular battery value chains. This effort must be supported by transparent open data protocols and platforms that guarantee cross-border compatibility. The formal creation of an international mechanism dedicated to EV standards offers significant benefits: it would streamline diverse technical regulations, effectively minimise transactional complexities for manufacturers and consumers, and critically, reinforce India’s engagement within the burgeoning global clean mobility supply chain.
Concurrently, the country must collaborate with various countries to scale up demonstrator projects for hydrogen and bio-compressed natural gas (bio-CNG) applications. These pilots are especially crucial when targeting industrial and high-volume freight corridors, diversifying India’s zero-emission transport portfolio beyond battery-electric solutions. The government must integrate these initiatives with the National Green Hydrogen Mission, facilitating the deployment of hydrogen-powered heavy commercial vehicles and buses, and complementing the ongoing shift toward more sustainable urban logistics operations, thereby reducing its carbon footprint.
Digital innovation forms another critical pillar of the transition. The adoption of AI-based traffic management systems, smart ticketing, and real-time multimodal planning, as successfully demonstrated by Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA), can improve operational efficiency, reduce congestion, and optimise passenger experience. Parallelly, Indian cities can embrace Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) technologies that integrate land-use and mobility planning through geospatial tools, electronic ticketing systems, and dynamic zoning models. The experiences of Curitiba (Brazil) and Seoul (South Korea) offer compelling evidence of how TOD can foster compact, walkable urban forms that reduce dependence on private vehicles while enhancing urban liveability.
To complement passenger transportation reform, India must invest in low-carbon logistics platforms that streamline freight operations. China’s Green Freight Initiative offers a lesson in establishing national digital freight exchanges to reduce empty return trips, optimise route efficiency, and curb emissions, improving logistics sustainability across key economic corridors.
Indian cities can embrace Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) technologies that integrate land-use and mobility planning through geospatial tools, electronic ticketing systems, and dynamic zoning models.
Finally, battery-swapping and shared mobility innovations can strengthen India’s two- and three-wheeler electrification strategy. Scaling successful global models such as Taipei’s Gogoro network will enable quick refuelling, lower ownership costs, and encourage private participation in the EV ecosystem. Integrating e-rickshaws, shared bikes, and last-mile connectivity systems into city-level decarbonisation plans will ensure that India’s transport transition remains inclusive, technology-driven, and responsive to both climate and urban development goals.
Diverse fiscal and market mechanisms are essential to expedite India’s transition to sustainable urban mobility, informed by successful international precedents. The establishment of a National Urban Mobility Fund (NUMF) is paramount, designed to deliver blended finance by aggregating both domestic resources and international climate funding. India must lead a global initiative to establish a Transport Technology & Transition Facility (T3F) at COP30 to channel dedicated capital towards technology deployment and infrastructure development. Such an effort could bolster the potential of national-level funding mechanisms such as the NUMF.
Furthermore, cities can emulate successful municipal finance frameworks, such as the sustainable bond programme pioneered in Paris, by issuing Green Bonds and utilising Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs). These instruments are vital for securing long-term capital for large-scale projects, including metropolitan rail expansion, electric bus procurement, and the enhancement of pedestrian infrastructure. India must also initiate carbon pricing initiatives and fuel tax reforms to drive fleet modernisation and fuel diversification. Drawing inspiration from the experience of nations like Sweden, these mechanisms create a clear economic advantage for cleaner vehicle technologies.
Concurrently, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), modelled after successful transit system deployments, such as the electric bus scheme in Santiago, Chile, are critical for attracting private sector investment for developing and operating charging infrastructure and deploying electric bus fleets. Finally, the introduction of urban carbon markets and mobility credits, similar to the cap-and-trade system utilised in Tokyo, can integrate regulatory and market forces by directly rewarding logistical efficiencies and the behavioural shift towards lower-carbon transport modes.
India's transport revolution is indispensable to achieving its net-zero objectives and sustaining its developmental momentum. COP30 sought to provide a crucial global stage to elevate sustainable mobility from a national policy discussion to a defining feature of global technology collaboration under the Paris framework. By strategically combining ambitious domestic targets, innovative financing mechanisms, robust digital governance, and inclusive planning, India is poised to shape a new paradigm where mobility is not only low-carbon but also resilient, equitable, and future-proof for the Global South.
Nandan H Dawda is a Fellow with the Urban Studies programme at the Observer Research Foundation.
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Dr Nandan H Dawda is a Fellow with the Urban Studies programme at the Observer Research Foundation. He has a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering and ...
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