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Steering the decarbonisation of India’s logistics sector
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India’s logistics sector, one of the most carbon-intensive globally, is now undergoing a critical transformation to align with India’s Net Zero 2070 target. With the logistics sector contributing 13.5% of India’s total GHG emissions, the focus is on green mobility, modal shift, and clean energy adoption to ensure environmental sustainability alongside economic growth.
Carbon Intensity and Sectoral Dependence
- Road Emission Burden: Road transport accounts for over 88% of emissions from India’s logistics sector, with trucks alone contributing 38% of total CO? emissions, as per IEA (2023).
- Warehousing Carbon Load: The warehousing sector is a major emitter due to high energy consumption in lighting, temperature control, and material handling.
- Air Transport Challenge: Domestic aviation contributes around 4% to logistics emissions but is hardest to decarbonise due to its dependency on refined fossil fuels.
Green Shifts and Government Interventions
- Modal Shift to Railways: Rail freight, being electrified and low-emission, is being promoted with India aiming to follow China’s model, where rail carries nearly 50% of freight.
- Electric Highways Initiative: India has launched a pilot project with overhead electric lines for trucks on the Delhi–Jaipur corridor, to enable zero-emission freight mobility.
- Maritime Decarbonisation Scope: India aims to reduce coastal shipping emissions by using LNG, biofuels, electric and solar-powered vessels, in line with IMO’s 2050 decarbonisation target.
Transitioning Logistics Infrastructure
- Renewable Warehousing Push: Warehousing emissions can be reduced by shifting to solar, wind, and geothermal power, ensuring low-carbon storage infrastructure.
- Inland Waterways Expansion: Government policy targets tripling inland cargo and increasing coastal freight 1.2 times by 2030, to make logistics efficient and emission-light.
- Competitive Green Logistics: Decarbonisation will not only cut emissions but will also enhance the competitiveness and scalability of India’s logistics network in global trade.
Practice Question:
Q. India’s logistics sector is a key determinant of both economic growth and environmental sustainability. Critically examine the strategies required for its decarbonisation, with reference to global best practices and India’s infrastructure roadmap.
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