Decarbonising Road Logistics in India: Paving the Way for Sustainable Growth

India's logistics industry, which is one of the world's most carbon-intensive, is being greened to meet the country's 2070 net-zero carbon emissions target. Since road transport accounts for more than 88% of logistics emissions, new solutions and structural reforms are being put in place to minimize the footprint. Here are the main points:

 

Key Highlights

Carbon Emissions in Logistics:

 

The transport sector accounts for 13.5% of India's overall greenhouse gas emissions, with 38% of CO₂ emissions coming from trucks alone2.

 

Warehousing and road transport are significant emitters of greenhouse gases, with a need to change over to cleaner energy.

 

Government Initiatives:

 

India is testing overhead electric wires on highways to charge electric trucks, beginning with the Delhi-Jaipur corridor2.

 

Policies seek to triple inland waterway cargo and passenger traffic and raise coastal shipping cargo by 1.2 times by the year 2030.

 

Comparisons Globally:

 

China and the United States have been able to transition freight transport from road to rail successfully, lowering emissions considerably.

 

India is urged to raise the share of rail freight, using its electrified tracks for green logistics.

 

Private Sector Contributions:

 

GreenLine Mobility Solutions Ltd. has introduced LNG-powered trucks, cutting up to 24 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year.

 

The business aims to double its fleet of more than 10,000 LNG and EV trucks, with a country-wide network of charging points and fueling stations to back it.

 

Future Outlook:

 

Decarbonising logistics is the key to establishing a competitive, resilient, and future-proof industry.

 

Technological advances in road, maritime, and air logistics, coupled with warehousing adoption of renewable energy, are the key to realization of sustainability objectives.

 

This revolution reflects India's resolve to harmonize economic growth and environmental conservation, creating a precedent for sustainable logistics operations in the future.

 

Sources: The Hindu, India Shipping News, Vision IAS