Vehicles account for 36% of CO2 emissions in A'bad, 53% in Rajkot

Ahmedabad: In Gujarat, vehicles are now third highest pollutants after industrial energy consumption and public electricity generation. The recently-launched online dashboard Gujarat Climate Action Tracker (GCAT) indicates that the road transport sector accounted for 13% of the total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2023, third highest only after industrial energy consumption (19%) and public electricity generation (17.5%).
In major districts like Ahmedabad and Rajkot, vehicles are a bigger villain. Vehicular fumes accounted for 36% and 52% of the CO2 emissions, respectively compared to 4.7% and 11.2% for industrial energy's share for these districts. For Vadodara and Surat, the share of transport sector was 23% and 13.5%, respectively.
Exponential growth in transport sector's contribution to CO2 can be ascertained from the fact that between 2005 and 2023, its volume has increased from 6.7 mtCO2e (million metric ton CO2 equivalent) to 32.2, showing nearly five-time rise.
In comparison, industrial energy emissions increased three times from 15.8 to 45.8 and public electricity generation increased by 13% from 37.2 to 42.2 mtCO2e, indicate the data.
The GCAT was launched on World Environment Day celebrated on June 5 and is termed the first such initiative in India to have sub-state level climate parameters. It is developed by the Climate Change Department and Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA) of the state govt with technical collaboration of Vasudha Foundation, said officials.
The district-level emissions were higher in industrial districts such as Kutch and Jamnagar with 36,920 ktCO2e (kiloton CO2 equivalent) and 24,591 respectively. These districts thus also had higher per capita emissions at 14.9 tons and 14.7 tons CO2e respectively.
The state govt officials said that on the other hand, the state has managed to reduce emissions by 72% compared to 2005 baseline GDP of the state. From installed capacity of 7,172 MW for renewable energy in state in 2015-16, it has reached 33,393 MW in 2024-25 with projects across various districts of Gujarat, they added.
"Gujarat leads the country in both rooftop solar installation and wind power capacity. The GCAT will deepen local ownership and planning for climate change mitigation," said Rini Dutt, associate director (climate policy), Vasudha Foundation.
"In Gujarat's net-zero journey, every district will have a vital role to play. It is important to recognise that progress will vary – some districts may reach net-zero sooner, while others with hard-to-abate sectors may take longer."

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

The Hindu

4 days ago

• The Hindu

Hotel group launches greening drive in Tiruchi

The Courtyard by Marriott, Tiruchi, has partnered with the State Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, the Corporation Higher Secondary School, and Sowdambika World School in Tiruchi to plant 432 tree saplings in the city. The initiative was inaugurated on the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5 and so far 247 saplings have been planted, an official release from the hotel chain said. The hotel will continue planting through the year to achieve the target by August 2025, the release added.

Time of India

4 days ago

• Time of India

District-level panels to monitor use of plastic water bottles in Karnataka

Bengaluru: In order to tackle growing plastic pollution across the state, the govt Tuesday ordered the formation of high-level committees in every district to monitor the handling and disposal of discarded single-use plastic water bottles. The announcement, which coincided with the govt's World Environment Day celebration, came from chief minister Siddaramaiah. The district-level committees to be headed by deputy commissioners will include CEOs of zilla panchayats, superintendents of police and deputy directors of food and civil supplies department. They will be tasked with tracking the sale of plastic bottles, ensuring their scientific disposal and raising public awareness. They will meet once in every three months to review progress and share enforcement data with Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). Marking the day's theme — Beat plastic pollution — Siddaramaiah said: "It is a difficult job, but we must do it. Bengaluru alone generates 900 tonnes of garbage every day. If we are keen to safeguard the environment, we must discontinue usage of plastic and find suitable alternatives." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like AC Installation & Repair from Certified Pros Search7 Learn More Undo Environment minister Eshwar Khandre said the move to regulate plastic water bottles is necessary. "We must first focus on scientific disposal of discarded plastic water bottles." The initiative is the latest in a series of measures aimed at improving management of plastic waste in the state. A month ago, Khandre directed the additional chief secretary of his department to ensure mandatory enforcement of extended producer responsibility (EPR) on manufacturers of plastic water bottles across districts. Under EPR mandate, manufacturers are expected to take responsibility for end-of-life collection and processing of their products. Khandre urged bottle manufacturers to adopt a buy-back model — purchasing used bottles from consumers while selling new ones. In a further incentive to encourage plastic bottle returns, KSPCB chairperson PM Narendraswamy announced that shredding machines would be installed within urban local body limits, offering users a refund of Re 1 for each discarded bottle returned. Meanwhile, a random survey conducted recently by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in Bengaluru found that several brands of bottled water being sold in local markets were of substandard quality. This has raised additional concerns about the need for stricter monitoring of bottled water production and distribution in the state.

Deccan Herald

13-06-2025

• Deccan Herald

Bengaluru: E-scooters turn Lalbagh visit into an easy, breezy exploration

Bengaluru: Lalbagh is running a trial of electric scooters to help visitors, especially youngsters, explore the sprawling garden with initiative by startup Voltron Dynamics, under its brand 'Fetch Mobility', was launched on June 5 to mark World Environment Day.."This is attracting people from all walks of life," said Balakrishna, Deputy Director, Horticulture Department, Lalbagh. "Walking the garden would take a whole day, but with these eco-friendly electric cycles, visitors can explore it in a jiffy.".Now, explore Lalbagh on electric electric scooters are currently available for paid rides as part of the month-long trial. Fetch Mobility is yet to finalise the number of vehicles for regular deployment and the revenue-sharing model with the Horticulture now, a 20-minute ride is priced at Rs 50. The scooters offer a 25-km range on a single charge and three riding modes — Eco, Drive, and Sports, with a top speed of 25 C, a visitor, called it "an all-round nice experience that saves time walking"..John Smith, a student, described it as "a fun ride, worth the money". .A Fetch Mobility representative said that the service has received "great encouragement" so far, and 15 to 20 more scooters are expected within two weeks. Once the trial ends, operations will shift to the main gate.