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How National Clean Air Programme is ineffective in tackling pollution

National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was launched in January 2019 to address the increasing pollution. However, in the five years since its launch, NCAP is not exhibiting the desired effect. The allocations are more to cities which are less polluted. The target of the programme seems to be tackling road dust, and not other air pollutants which are currently wreaking havoc. The NCAP, launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, aims to reduce PM2.5 and PM10 levels by 20-30 per cent by 2024, with the target now extended to 2025. PM refers to a mixture of solid and liquid particles suspended in the air, and a PM10 level exceeding 60 ug/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter of the air) indicates deteriorating air quality. Misallocation? Mumbai (₹938 crore), Kolkata (₹846 crore), and Hyderabad (₹551.05 crore) are the top three cities receiving the highest funds, with utilisation rates of 60.2 per cent, 79.6 per cent, and 73.8 per cent, respectively. Their five-year annual average PM10 levels stand at 104, 99, and 85 ug/m3. In contrast, cities like Faridabad (₹73 crore), Ghaziabad (₹136 crore), and Delhi (₹42 crore) have made use of 38.9 per cent, 97.3 per cent, and 29.5 per cent of their allocated funds, respectively. Despite this, their PM10 levels are among the highest across 131 cities, with averages of 210, 204, and 200 ug/m3, indicating persistent challenges in curbing air pollution. Only road dust According to a report by the Centre for Science and Environment in July 2024, a substantial portion of the funds under the NCAP has been utilised in addressing road dust, accounting for 64 per cent. Around 14.51 per cent has been allocated to tackle biomass burning, 12.63 per cent to the vehicle sector, 6 per cent for capacity building, and a mere 0.61 per cent has been spent on the industrial sector. “Thus, road dust mitigation measures that include paving, road widening, pothole repair, water sprinkling, mechanical sweepers, etc. have taken the lion’s share of the funds for clean air action. Very little is being spent on industrial and vehicular pollution,” the report reads. Gufran Beig, Chair-Professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, pointed out that there are strategic policy-level issues, such as changing crop types in the northern regions, that can help curb biomass pollution, as stubble burning contributes significantly to increasing biomass pollution in the region. “There is a need for stringent monitoring mechanisms, policy regulations, and norms to control industrial pollution. Many unregistered small industries fail to comply with regulations, and large industries must also ensure adherence to these standards. This can only be achieved by having proper mechanisms in place,” Beig added. The NCAP has released ₹10,595 crore to different states from 2019 to 2024, targeting 131 cities. Of this, ₹6,922 crore (65.3 per cent) has been utilised. But in 114 cities, the five-year annual average of Particulate Matter 10 (PM10) still exceeds the safe limit of 60. The total amount of funds released and utilised for these targeted cities under the NCAP and the Fifteenth Finance Commission’s (XV-FC) Air Quality Performance Grants.

India, EU gear up for 10th round of FTA negotiations

Fresh momentum in India-European Union (EU) free trade negotiations has emerged against the backdrop of global uncertainties and shifting geopolitical equations after the US presidential elections, as top negotiators from both sides met in Brussels recently to prepare for the 10th round of talks. The 27-member European bloc sees India, with its democratic values and robust economy, as a natural trade partner to ensure trusted supply chains amid turbulent global conditions, according to officials familiar with the matter. “India is the go-to country for most of the developed world amid an expected change in trade dynamics after President Trump assumes power in January. EU would not like to miss the bus after investing over two years in negotiating an FTA with India since June 2022,” said a person close to the negotiations. Sustainability regulations like labour standards, deforestation rules and carbon tax have been key stumbling blocks despite nine rounds of talks, with the Europeans insisting these be seen as trade matters. “India is not averse to the idea of environment protection. In fact, it is committed to fulfil the obligation by 2070. But, clubbing these in the free trade deal would amount to putting non-tariff barriers in a sly, which was not acceptable,” the official said, and added that “it seems that some convergence on this matter is seen recently, which is indeed a positive sign”. A second person aware of the matter said that “things have changed after the outcome of the US presidential election in early November. The eagerness and positive signs were visible during commerce secretary Sunil Barthwal’s recent meeting with senior EU officials and European diplomats.” Commerce secretary Barthwal met EU director general Sabine Weyand in Brussels on November 21, where both sides showed renewed eagerness. They discussed FTA negotiations progress, cooperation under the India-EU Trade and Technology Council, and market access issues. While EU seeks zero-duty market access for its goods in India with reciprocal benefits, inclusion of sustainability measures like carbon tax could potentially nullify trade advantages for Indian exporters. Key concerns include the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and EU deforestation regulation (EUDR). The carbon tax burden for India is estimated at 0.05% of GDP, according to a July report by the Centre for Science and Environment. The EU is India’s second-largest export destination, receiving merchandise exports worth $76 billion in 2023-24, while India imported goods valued at over $59 billion. CBAM could lead to tariffs of up to 35% on carbon-intensive Indian exports like cement, aluminium, fertilisers, chemicals, iron and steel. The tax, being implemented in phases from October 2023, becomes fully effective January 2026. Meanwhile, EUDR’s implementation deadline for deforestation-free certification of products like cattle, wood, cocoa and derived goods has been extended by a year to December 30, 2025.

Nations unite to address global plastic pollution crisis in Busan

While the outcome on the climate finance deal at COP29 in Baku was derided by the developing nations, days later, 175 countries assembled in Busan, South Korea, for the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop a Global Treaty on ending plastic pollution. At the ongoing discussion that will end on December 1, participating countries would argue that plastic pollution must be addressed through reduction in plastic production and a legally binding international agreement. Experts state that India could play a pivotal role in leading the world towards the development of a global criteria for single-use plastic ban. In 2022, India had already issued Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) guidelines under which manufacturers should register on a centralised portal. With these guidelines, India fixed the responsibility on manufacturers to ensure processing of their plastic packaging waste through recycling, re-use or end of life disposal. Amit Tandon, Founder and CEO, PolyCycl Pvt Ltd said, “The Global Plastics Treaty is a rare, once-in-a-generation chance to build global collaboration to tackle plastic pollution head-on. India already boasts one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive EPR frameworks for plastic life-cycle management. With only a third of treaty member states having implemented any form of EPR, India also stands to offer a regulatory model for other nations for developing an effective and sustainable system for managing plastics.” According to the United Nations Environment Programme, single-use plastics represent 36 per cent of the plastic production in the world. Nations unite to address global plastic pollution crisis in Busan Single-use plastics represent 36 per cent of plastic production in the world article_Author Aksheev Thakur Tribune News Service New Delhi, Updated At : 11:01 AM Nov 27, 2024 IST fb twitter whatsapp Follow us Follow us Connect with us Connect with us featured-imgfeatured-img A man sorts plastic waste at Minh Khai Craft Village in Hung Yen province in Vietnam. Reuters Photo Advertisement While the outcome on the climate finance deal at COP29 in Baku was derided by the developing nations, days later, 175 countries assembled in Busan, South Korea, for the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop a Global Treaty on ending plastic pollution. At the ongoing discussion that will end on December 1, participating countries would argue that plastic pollution must be addressed through reduction in plastic production and a legally binding international agreement. Experts state that India could play a pivotal role in leading the world towards the development of a global criteria for single-use plastic ban. Advertisement In 2022, India had already issued Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) guidelines under which manufacturers should register on a centralised portal. With these guidelines, India fixed the responsibility on manufacturers to ensure processing of their plastic packaging waste through recycling, re-use or end of life disposal. Amit Tandon, Founder and CEO, PolyCycl Pvt Ltd said, “The Global Plastics Treaty is a rare, once-in-a-generation chance to build global collaboration to tackle plastic pollution head-on. India already boasts one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive EPR frameworks for plastic life-cycle management. With only a third of treaty member states having implemented any form of EPR, India also stands to offer a regulatory model for other nations for developing an effective and sustainable system for managing plastics.” Read More Flowers India Adani denies bribery charges by US court, Rahul says 'you expect him to accept?'' View More right-arrow Advertisement According to the United Nations Environment Programme, single-use plastics represent 36 per cent of the plastic production in the world. PlayUnmute Fullscreen In 2022, India banned 19 single use plastic items like plastic bags, cutlery, straws, food packaging, disposable water bottles and plastic cups. Atin Biswas, programme director, Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy, Centre for Science and Environment, said, “India introduced a resolution in United Nations Environment Assembly 4, aimed at ending single-use plastic product pollution. The country is positioning itself as a leader in efforts to eliminate single-use plastics at both regional and national levels.”

Rich nations owe 'climate debt' to poorer countries

More than a century of burning coal, oil and gas has fueled intense heatwaves, prolonged droughts, heavier rains and devastating floods. To prevent even more severe impacts, the UN global climate summit, Cop29, must deliver tangible results to keep global temperature rises below 2C – the limit defined in the 2015 Paris agreement. Achieving this goal means human societies can only emit a finite amount of additional carbon dioxide, known as the world’s “carbon budget”. Developed nations have exceeded their carbon budgets, while developing countries remain within theirs. Carbon dioxide lingers in the atmosphere for centuries, turning past unchecked fossil fuel use into a costly planetary bill. Between 1870 and 2019, the US, EU, Russia, UK, Japan, Canada and Australia – home to just 15% of the global population – accounted for over 60% of atmospheric carbon dioxide, according to the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment.

Low wind speed, drop in mercury to turn air ‘very poor’ in Gurgaon

Gurgaon: The city's air quality improved marginally on Wednesday to fall in ‘poor' category with the Air Quality Index (AQI) being recorded at 217, down from the previous day's 289. The Sector-51 and Teri Gram monitoring stations witnessed ‘moderate' air while Gwalpahari and Vikas Sadan's air fell in the ‘poor' category. The AQI is likely to deteriorate to the ‘very poor' category in the next six days. The PM2.5 level was highest in Gwalpahari (254 µg/m³) on Wednesday, followed by Vikas Sadan (233 µg/m³), Teri Gram (232 µg/m³), and Sector 51 (222 µg/m³). The PM10 level was highest at Gwalpahari (283 µg/m³), followed by Teri Gram (213 µg/m³) and Sector-51 (202 µg/m³). Vikas Sadan doesn't record PM10 data. According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the annual average permissible limits for PM2.5 and PM10 are 60µg/m³ and 100 µg/m³, respectively. According to central government's System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (Safar), weather conditions are likely to be highly unfavourable for dispersion of pollutants till Dec 2. "Predominant surface winds are likely to come from the northeast direction and with a speed of up to 8kmph. There will also be fog. The maximum dispersion rate is likely to be between 600 m2/s and 3,500 m2/s in the region. A ventilation index lower than 6,000 m2/s with an average wind speed of less than 10 kmph is unfavourable for dispersion of pollutants," the Safar forecast stated. A Haryana State Pollution Control Board official said pollutants were likely to get trapped in the atmosphere, further pulling the air quality down. "Better wind speed has helped in improving the AQI, but as pollutants are likely to get trapped due to severe cold, it will deteriorate again," he said. Meanwhile, satellite data from NASA, collated by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, showed that stubble burning incidents have gone down over the last two days, with the daily count in Haryana remaining below 30. "The stubble burning season is almost over, but the air quality is still in ‘poor' or ‘very poor' category. This indicates that local factors like vehicular pollution, road dust, rampant construction and garbage burning incidents are significantly contributing to trapping of the pollutants in the atmosphere. The temperature in the coming days is likely to fall, and consequently, dispersion of pollutants will be difficult," said Shubhansh Tiwari, a research associate at the Centre for Science and Environment. According to the guidelines issued by CPCB, when AQI is in the 'moderate' category, people with asthma and lung or heart diseases can feel discomfort in breathing. In 'poor' AQI, discomfort can be felt by most people after a prolonged exposure. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

UN talks on treaty to curb plastic pollution open in Busan

New Delhi: After a rather disappointing close to the UN Climate Summit (COP29) in Baku with an underwhelming climate finance deal, countries are expected to agree on an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in seas and oceans by end of this week. The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5) is being held in Busan, South Korea where 175 parties are expected to negotiate on the text for the agreement. Following public calls for action on plastic pollution, in 2022, the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) resolved to end plastic pollution by adopting resolution, which established an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to work towards a treaty. The INC has met four times since 2022 (INC-1, INC-2, INC-3 and INC-4), managing to overcome initial procedural challenges and initiating text-based negotiations based on a compilation of the draft text of the future agreement. INC Chair Luis Vayas circulated a non-paper in late October this year that captures common ground among INC members on which they are likely to agree to. This non-paper has a preamble which lists the reasons for phasing out plastics. It also lists exemptions that may be allowed. And it discusses plastic product design, supply (-this is to do with managing the supply of primary polymers to achieve sustainable levels of production and consumption), emissions, plastic waste management, just transition, finance to aid transition, and implementation and monitoring. Chair Luis Vayas clarified on Monday that the Non-Paper is entirely bracketed (which means every aspect is up for discussion) , and has been proposed as a “starting point for negotiations”. “This session is a pivotal opportunity to deal with one of the most pressing environmental problems. Plastic waste is about 80% of all marine pollution, with an estimate of 8 to 10 million MT entering oceans annually. Plastic production soared from 2.3 million tonnes in 1950 to 448 million tonnes 2015. The economic and environmental costs of this are profound. Microplastics impact human organs and are associated with serious health risks including cancers,” said Vayas during a press conference. India could lead the world towards the development of a global criteria for single-use plastics ban, researchers from Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) who have closely followed the negotiations through the years have said. Naresh Pal Gangwar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change is India’s lead negotiator on the treaty. India introduced a resolution in UNEA 4, aimed at “ending single-use plastic product pollution”. “The country is positioning itself as a leader in efforts to eliminate single-use plastics at both regional and national levels,” said Atin Biswas, programme director, Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy, Centre for Science and Environment in a statement. In 2019, India developed a criteria-based framework to identify problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic products. A total of 40 single-use plastic products, including carry bags, small plastic bottles, intravenous (saline) bottles and tea bags were evaluated using this criteria-based method – which was then used to phase out 19 single-use plastic items that were banned from production, stocking, distribution, sale, and use from the Indian market. “The criteria developed by India, guided by its ministry of chemicals and fertilisers, along with support and inputs from other member states advocating for a global criteria-based approach, can serve as a foundation for creating a comprehensive, logical, and science-based global framework for problematic, unnecessary, and avoidable plastic products including single-use plastic products,” Biswas added in a statement on November 23. Plastic waste has accumulated to over 10 billion tonnes since the 1950s, filling landfills and clogging sewage systems, streams and rivers, ending up in the ocean. The major point of contentions in the plastics negotiations is around three issues. The first is downstream versus upstream. The original resolution called on delegates to look at the entire lifecycle of plastic. This has created several interpretations over the course of the negotiations, according to International Institute of Sustainable Development. Some countries are interested in addressing upstream plastic, which means plastic right from a point of production. But nearly all countries are interested in looking at downstream plastic – tackling plastic waste instead of actually stopping production of plastics. The second is on the use of chemicals. “There is a clear opening here to list the obvious harmful chemicals and to establish a process for listing those that are yet to be identified. Furthermore, are there specific plastic items that we can live without, those that so often leak into the environment? Are there alternatives to these item,” asked a statement from United Nations Environment Programme. The third is supply and finance. The UNEA resolution called for sustainable production and consumption of plastics – taking a lifecycle approach. “This obviously takes inspiration from Sustainable Development Goal 12 that addresses sustainable production and consumption. My plea is to use this aspect of the resolution as your guiding star, while recognising that national plans and reporting will offer a critical tool for Parties to ensure adherence to the agreements that you may strike,” said Inger Andersen, Executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme during her speech at the opening plenary on Monday. “Financing is central to multilateral environmental agreements. We saw how important this issue is to many countries in the just-concluded climate talks. The UNEA resolution clearly provides you with guidance and states that parties should consider the establishment of “a financial mechanism to support implementation of the instrument, including the option of a dedicated multilateral fund”, she added. WHY IS A GLOBAL PLASTIC PHASE OUT TREATY NEEDED? To end the global plastic pollution crisis. 1. More plastics and human-made chemicals have been produced than the planet can afford. 2. Waste management can’t solve the crisis, and a coordinated and dramatic reduction in plastic production is needed - only a global treaty can achieve this. To fight climate change 1. More than 99% of plastic is made from fossil fuels.

Haryana farm fires 40% less than last yr, sharp drop in Punjab too

Gurgaon: As crop stubble burning season nears an end, satellite data shows that at 1,315, Haryana has recorded a substantial decrease in farm fires in the Sept 15 to Nov 25 period this year than in the same period in the last four years. Data compiled by Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) shows the number of recorded farm fires was 2,278 in 2023, 2,581 in 2022, 6,829 in 2021 and 4,036 in 2020, the last two being pandemic years. Compared to last year, farm fires have fallen 42% this year, and compared to 2020, the reduction is around 70%. While the rains not continuing late into Sept and Oct this year likely led to some farmers clearing their fields before the measurement window, steps on the ground like access to machinery, newer farming technologies being adopted, and stricter monitoring – with the state govt taking penal action against officials for not stopping farmers from burning stubble – have begun to show their impact, experts said. For years, NCR states have been announcing a flurry of measures to reduce stubble burning as it coincides with the winter pollution season and adds harmful particles to the already toxic haze over northwestern India. Punjab, which usually has the highest number of farm fires among the states, has also recorded a sharp drop. Between Sept 15 and Nov 25, it recorded 10,682 cases of stubble burning, compared to 36,514 incidents in 2023, 49,810 in 2022, 71,215 incidents in 2021 and 82,702 in 2020. "This year, the rains stopped in August, as a result of which farmers got enough time to manage straw and prepare their land for the next crop. Farmers are also getting help on the ground, and that is reflecting in the numbers," said Shubhansh Tiwari, research associate at Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). "It's true that fires in Haryana are at the best levels," said Hiren Jethva, senior research scientist at US space agency NASA, whose satellites capture farm fire data. The Haryana govt, ahead of winter, procured 90,000 machines that were given to farmers for in-situ paddy straw management. It also appointed 10,000 nodal officers and set up dedicated teams to check stubble burning. Govt data suggests much of the straw left behind after paddy harvests was utilised or sold. "This year, we started providing machinery to farmers in August. We also prepared a staggered harvesting schedule for paddy. Gram panchayats that achieved zero-burning targets will be awarded Rs 1 lakh or Rs 50,000," said Darshan Singh, technical assistant, Haryana agriculture department. Farmers said it was also a breather for them. "This year, we started the harvest season early. Industries bought large quantities of straw. We don't like to burn the residue either. Earlier it was difficult to get access to machinery, and industries would hardly come to buy stubble. This year, it was smoother," said Rajvinder Singh, a farmer in Kurukshetra. At 201, Jind reported the highest number of farm fires this season, followed by Kaithal (194), Sirsa (147), Kurukshetra (131), Fatehabad (129), Karnal (95), Ambala (91), Sonipat (65), Faridabad (47), Hisar (43), Palwal (38), Panipat (38), Yamunanagar (38), Rohtak (21), Panchkula (19), Jhajjar (11) and Bhiwani (7). "While stubble burning counts have significantly reduced, the percentage contribution of stubble burning in PM2.5 in Delhi remains similar to last year, ranging between 11% and 35% in Nov. To confirm the reduction, thermal anomalies from NASA's dataset can be used as a secondary source for validating and cross-referencing fire counts. If both datasets show a reduction, the stubble burning contribution analysis should be revised to provide more accurate results," said Manoj Kumar, analyst at Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). LS Kurinji, programme associate at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), said, "While satellite-derived fires can offer nearly a decade's record of global fire activity, they come with certain limitations, such as missing data due to cloud cover, coarser resolution, and limited overpass time, making it difficult to capture short-lived fires that occur outside the satellite overpass time. This is important because, according to a CEEW study, over half of the 58% of farmers in Punjab who practise in-situ crop residue management partially burned paddy straw during kharif 2022 to improve efficiency, lower costs, and control pests before using machines. Burning in this method lasts only for a few hours, making it difficult for satellites to detect. Therefore, it is important to approach the data cautiously while analysing year-on-year trends."

OUTSIDE VIEW: Rich, poor nations can strike a win-win deal on climate

More than a century of burning coal, oil and gas has fueled intense heatwaves, prolonged droughts, heavier rains and devastating floods. To prevent even more severe impacts, the UN global climate summit, Cop29, must deliver tangible results to keep global temperature rises below 2C — the limit defined in the 2015 Paris agreement. Achieving this goal means human societies can only emit a finite amount of additional carbon dioxide, known as the world’s “carbon budget.” Developed nations have exceeded their carbon budgets, while developing countries remain within theirs. Carbon dioxide lingers in the atmosphere for centuries, turning past unchecked fossil fuel use into a costly planetary bill. Between 1870 and 2019, the US, EU, Russia, UK, Japan, Canada and Australia — home to just 15% of the global population — accounted for over 60% of atmospheric carbon dioxide, according to the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment.

खुद को मजबूत कर लीजिए, दिल्ली में और खराब होने वाली है आब-ओ-हवा, जानिए क्या कह रहे एक्सपर्ट्स

बदलते मौसम का ट्रेंड इस बार प्रदूषण सीजन पर भी साफ नजर आ रहा है। एक्सपर्ट के अनुसार, इस बार सर्दियों का आगाज देरी से हुआ। इसी वजह से प्रदूषण भी दिवाली बीत जाने के 10 दिनों बाद अपने रोद्र रूप में आया। इसके बाद वेस्टर्न डिस्टरबेंस की वजह से तापमान बढ़ा और प्रदूषण भी कम होने लगा। अब मौसम और प्रदूषण के पूर्वानुमान बता रहे हैं कि तापमान कम होगा। इसके साथ ही प्रदूषण एक बार फिर गंभीर स्तर पर पहुंच जाएगा। इस बार सर्दियां अधिक पड़ने की संभावना एक्सपर्ट के अनुसार इस बार सर्दियां अधिक पड़ने की संभावना है। सीएसई की डीजी सुनीता नारायण के अनुसार सर्दियां अभी शुरू हो रही हैं। मौसम विभाग का पूर्वानुमान है कि सर्दियां काफी तीखी रहेंगी। वहीं प्रदूषण का पूर्वानुमान बता रहा है कि 27 नवंबर के बाद हालात फिर एक बार काफी खराब होने वाले हैं। इस बार फिर तीन से चार दिन का स्मॉग झेलना पड़ सकता है। इसलिए अभी से प्रदूषण बढ़ाने वाले सोर्स पर सख्ती की जानी चाहिए ताकि प्रदूषण को उस दौरान बहुत अधिक तेजी से बढ़ने से रोका जा सके। प्रदूषण है कि मानता नहीं पर्यावरण एक्टिविस्ट दीपक वासन ने बताया GRAP का सबसे अंतिम चरण लागू है। लेकिन दिल्ली एनसीआर में अब भी सड़कों पर बिना पानी डाले झाडू लग रही है। जाम दिख रहा है, पर्यावरण स्पेशल बस सर्विस शुरू नहीं की गई है। ठंड बढ़ने के बाद ओपन बर्निंग भी अब बढ़ रही है। वहीं प्रदूषण का स्तर एक बार फिर बढ़ रहा है। ग्रीनपीस के अविनाश चंचल के अनुसार इस समय प्रदूषण को नियंत्रित करने के लिए जमीनी स्तर पर काम सबसे अधिक जरूरी है। जबकि उसकी कई जगहों पर कमी नजर आ रही है। नवंबर व दिसंबर इस बार प्रदूषण के लिहाज से काफी संवेदनशील है।

Global meet set to begin final negotiations on a treaty to end plastic pollution

As global negotiations intensify in Busan, South Korea, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) urges India to take a leadership role in developing a global framework for banning single-use plastics. CSE highlights India's efforts, including its criteria-based approach for identifying and phasing out problematic plastics, as a potential model for international action against plastic pollution. Can India lead the way to develop a global criteria for ban on single-use plastics, asks Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). New Delhi/Busan (South Korea), November 22, 2024: As the world gets ready to meet in Busan, South Korea next week for the fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee session (INC 5) on ending plastic pollution, India could lead the world towards the development of a global criteria for single-use plastics ban, say researchers from Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) who have closely followed the negotiations through the years. In March 2022, the world had come together to agree on a ground-breaking United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) resolution 5/14 to “End Plastic Pollution”. The resolution mandated the creation of the INC to arrive at a legally binding instrument. After four rounds of negotiations in Punte Del Este, Paris, Nairobi and Ottawa, this fifth and final round of negotiations in Busan -- between November 25 and December 1, 2024 – is where the member states are expected to try and build consensus on a host of issues related to plastic pollution. According to the UNEP, problematic, unnecessary and avoidable (single-use) plastics represent 36 per cent of the plastic production in the world. Of this, an estimated 85 per cent is mismanaged – which means they end up in the environment and pollute it. Says Sunita Narain, director general, CSE: “141 countries across the globe have banned or restricted some form of plastic products, indicating a high willingness among member states to take action. However, inconsistencies in regulations across countries or provinces and states have rendered the implementation of these bans more challenging than anticipated.” India introduced a resolution in UNEA 4, aimed at "ending single-use plastic product pollution." Says Atin Biswas, programme director, Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy, CSE: “The country is positioning itself as a leader in efforts to eliminate single-use plastics at both regional and national levels.” In 2019, the Government of India had developed a criteria-based framework to identify problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic products. A total of 40 single-use plastic products, including carry bags, small plastic bottles, intravenous (saline) bottles and tea bags were evaluated using this criteria-based method – which was then used to phase out 19 single-use plastic items that were banned from production, stocking, distribution, sale, and use from the Indian market. Adds Biswas: “The criteria developed by India, guided by its ministry of chemicals and fertilisers, along with support and inputs from other member states advocating for a global criteria-based approach, can serve as a foundation for creating a comprehensive, logical, and science-based global framework for problematic, unnecessary, and avoidable plastic products including single-use plastic products.” At the INC meetings, a criteria-based approach has been advocated by many countries. “Overall, the idea of developing and embracing global criteria for problematic, unnecessary, or avoidable plastic products under the international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution enjoys support from at least 70 member states,” says Siddharth G Singh, programme manager, Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy, CSE.

Avg AQI remains ‘poor’ but Gwalpahari inches close to ‘severe’

Gurgaon: City's air quality improved marginally on Tuesday but remained in the ‘poor' category with a 24-hour air quality index (AQI) of 289, compared to the previous day's 295. Of the four monitoring stations in the city, Gwalpahari was the worst hit and recorded the highest average AQI at 393 (very poor) on Tuesday. It was followed by Vikas Sadan (265), Teri Gram (218), and Sector 51 (210) – all ‘poor'. The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) predicted a surge in pollution levels and, ‘very poor' to ‘severe' AQI over the next six days. The forecasting agency said the average wind speed in Delhi-NCR will be less than 10kmph, allowing pollutants to remain suspended in the air. The concentration of PM2.5 — tiny pollutants that can get absorbed into the bloodstream — was the highest at Gwalpahari station, at 336 µg/m³, followed by Teri Gram (276 µg/m³), Vikas Sadan (234 µg/m³), and Sector 51 (211 µg/m³). PM10 levels were 379 µg/m³ at Gwalpahari, 256 µg/m³ at Teri Gram, and 245 µg/m³ at Sector 51. Vikas Sadan did not record this data. These figures far exceed the safe limits set in India — at 60 µg/m³ for PM2.5 and 100 µg/m³ for PM10. Experts said favourable weather alone, cannot improve the air quality and expressed concerns over the delayed implementation of pollution control measures despite severe air quality being a recurring winter issue. "The lower AQI on Tuesday stems purely from favourable meteorological conditions. Govts need to focus on year-round monitoring of pollution sources and emission reduction is imperative to tackle air pollution," said Shubhansh Tiwari, research associate at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), temperatures are likely to remain in the same range. "Dense to very dense fog is likely to occur in isolated areas of south Haryana due to high moisture ratio and the inability of low-speed winds to disperse it. Dense fog will be predominantly present in the late night and early morning hours of the day," stated an advisory by the IMD. "The ventilation index lower than 6000 m2/s with average wind speed less than 10 kmph is unfavourable for dispersion of pollutants. The air quality is likely to be in the severe to very poor category," SAFAR said.

Govt approves ₹1,116 crore for disaster mitigation, capacity building projects

New Delhi: A high-level committee, under the chairmanship of Union home and cooperation minister Amit Shah, on Tuesday approved ₹1,115.67 crore for disaster mitigation and capacity building projects for various states. This comes at a time when the country has seen a sharp rise in landslide events due to extreme weather conditions. Between January and October, India witnessed extreme weather events in 93% of the days – 255 out of 274 days – killing over 3,200 people, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said in a report released earlier this month. The committee, comprising Union finance and agriculture ministers, vice-chairman of NITI Aayog as members, considered the proposal to mitigate landslide risk in 15 states, for funding from National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) and another proposal for training and capacity building of Civil Defense volunteers in all states and Union Territories under Preparedness and Capacity Building from the funding window of National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), according to an official statement. About ₹1,000 crore would go towards the 15 states, namely Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Another project The committee has also approved another project for training and capacity building of civil defense in all states and Union Territories at a total outlay of ₹115.67 crore. Earlier, the committee had approved urban flood risk mitigation projects in seven cities at a total outlay of ₹3,075.65 crore and glacial lake outburst flood risk management in 4 states at a total outlay of ₹150 crores from National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF).

X marks the spot: How power and compromise led to COP29’s $300 bn climate finance outcome

Developed nations arrived at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, with the same inscrutable expression they wear at every climate negotiation—a poker face that betrays nothing until the final moments. For developing countries, this familiar stance often signals trouble: a prelude to backroom deals that secure incremental wins for rich nations while sidelining the urgent and existential needs of vulnerable communities. This year, the long-promised $100 billion climate finance goal was tripled to $300 billion—a headline-grabbing figure that, on closer examination, came laden with caveats. The package blended public and private finance. A far cry from the $1.3 trillion in public finance that the G77+ China group had previously demanded. Compounding the frustration was the inclusion of a voluntary call for developing countries to contribute. “After so much of the world going in for elections in 2024 and flailing national budgets since after COVID, 2025 was always going to be a year of austerity. In light of that, the paltry pledge of $300 billion a year since 2035 is not surprising,” said Professor Runa Sarkar, IIM Kolkata. As the conference drew to a close, the question loomed larger than ever: Was COP29 a victory or another missed opportunity? The answer, as always, lies in a tangled mix of perspectives and the unresolved reality of climate injustice. A slow start “They [developed countries] are not putting their cards on the table.” This is what delegations and experts from developing nations kept repeating throughout the two wells of COP29. This was to be the “Finance COP”. And yet, even before the summit began on November 11, all indications were that it would be anything but, largely because of the disinterest shown by the big hitters in participating with the same robust energy they had in COPs past. This COP had no big leaders, and hence no big voices — which has helped move negotiation logjams in the past. To add to the uncertainty, Argentina walked out in the first week. This lack of political will quickly turned into the most concerning issue for civil society groups. That, and of course, the lack of a New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) number in COP29’s climate finance text — which was what everyone was most keen to see. The NCQG replaces the $100 billion climate finance goal that had been set for developed nations to pay to the developing world. But iteration after iteration, there was an X in place of where the number should have been. It also wasn’t clear how this money was to be paid. Through public finance, which would include grants? Or through private finance? Would there be a multilayered-approach to the finance? When does the money actually start flowing and from where? The answers to these questions were whispered and speculated in the long corridors of Baku Olympic Stadium, but never stated as fact until the last couple of days of the summit. More on that later. The first mystery that needed to be solved was why there was no NCQG number at the Finance COP. Countries had a whole year to calculate a number. So who had not done their homework? We found out in the first week itself that G77 + China had indeed proposed an NCQG number of $1.3 trillion per year in public finance. The climate finance need of trillions from the billions being discussed earlier was first announced in the New Delhi Declaration of Leaders under India’s G20 presidency. India had also submitted a proposal of $1 trillion in climate finance to the UN in March this year. This was ambitious, especially considering the developed countries had struggled to pay the previous $100 billion goal only in 2022, even though it had been set in 2009 in Copenhagen. But it is important to note here that this was not a random number, unlike the $100 billion, which had been sprung up as a surprise on developing nations, all those years ago. The $1.3 trillion was a number based on analysis and after a thorough calculation of the needs of the developing world. So there was a number to start the negotiations with. Despite this, the X remained in subsequent iterations of the climate finance text. This was being interpreted in two ways — either the developed countries had come to the finance COP without a number in mind, or this was a well-thought out strategy to tire the other side out until their (lowball) number was finally accepted out of sheer exhaustion and the lack of time. And this is exactly what happened. Former United States special presidential envoy for climate, John Kerry had declared at COP28 that the US had no money for climate finance. The US also pledged a paltry $17 billion to the Loss and Damage Fund last year despite being the richest country globally. Kerry, instead, said climate finance can be found from groups such as Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), a coalition of financial institutions. Developed countries also pushed to include carbon markets as a part of climate finance, which saw major pushback from developing countries at COP29. Mohamed Adow, founder and director, Power Shift Africa, called carbon markets a “dangerous distraction and a wolf in sheep’s clothing”. However, a deal on government-to-government carbon markets was agreed on at COP29. Experts remain wary of the agreement, with Isa Mulder, policy expert, Carbon Market Watch calling it ‘dangerously loose and opaque, tailor-made for those pushing to turn it into a free-for-all’. Meanwhile, the adoption of Article 6.4 rules on removals risk repeating the inadequate measures of the voluntary carbon market that guarantee permanence. But the narrative of “private finance should be climate finance” had already been set by Kerry, and so the mystery of $X trillion in the draft texts was an easy one to solve. The iteration journey In two weeks, the climate finance text was whittled from 34 pages to 22 pages to 10 pages and finally 6. The first and longest iteration was filled with options from different countries, which meant that not a lot of work had been done on cutting down the text since it was last looked at in Bonn, Germany in July 2024. The $1.3 trillion figure was in several of the options, with the words ‘at least’ added before it. The length of the text aside, this seemed to be a good start for developing countries. There was also mention of grant-based concessional finance mentioned in the options, which was another positive for poorer nations. The NCQG options also included $1 trillion (put forth by India), and $2 trillion. But while successive iterations showed movement on the language around $1.3 trillion, the sentences mentioning the latter two figures remained as is. This could be interpreted as negotiations going back and forth on $1.3 trillion, while the other numbers would probably be deleted in later iterations. The X for the main NCQG text, however, remained, with no mention on the type of finance this would be. If COP28 was chaos, filled with cancellations of press conferences that were also scheduled at the last minute, COP29 was eerily quiet. Apart from the expected flurry of activity whenever iterations of the draft text were released, there wasn’t much to do except wait and watch. By the end of the first week, restless media tried to understand why things were moving so slowly. The issues were known—developed countries wanted to expand the list of climate finance donor countries to include China; there was pushback from the developing world on strong references to mitigation being linked to the NCQG; linking carbon markets to the NCQG was also unacceptable to the G77 + China and LMDC. But everyone wanted to understand what would end the logjam. “We have been seeing for years and years at COP that when there is big contestation around an issue—this year it is finance—then that issue tends to hold up other issues. It is like a hostage taking of other issues. So if we don’t move forward on finance, we will potentially see its impact felt in the other negotiation areas,”said Tasneem Essop, executive director, Climate Action Network (CAN). The other texts under negotiation at COP29 were the Mitigation Work Programme (MWP) and the Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP). But soon after, some details emerged that indicated movement on one of the issues — that of expanding the climate finance donor base— which is a list of developed countries primarily responsible for giving climate finance under the Paris Agreement. Avantika Goswami, Programme Manager for Climate Change, Center for Science and Environment, India, said, “On the contributor base question, we have heard that developed countries are starting to back down somewhat and have softened their earlier very hardline position that the base must be expanded. China may have shown some willingness to report its existing voluntary climate finance provisions from developing countries under Article 9.2 . And that may have to some extent helped pacify some of the developed countries. We’ve also heard that developed countries have realised that pushing hard on the contributor base expansion is a very bad look for them and it’s hurting them in their relationships so they may have taken a step back. Again this is conjecture and it might change through the course of this week, we have a wait and watch situation.” Negotiations are also dependent on optics. No one wants to be portrayed as the bad guy. But the war of optics had already made the US the villain of the developed world seeing how it is currently in a state of limbo with no indication of its future in climate action. The villain of the developing world was not China, but Saudi Arabia, which was accused by the western media of blocking negotiations. China was sitting in between, with everyone from the UN to Germany asking it to step up on its climate leadership. China is already a climate leader. On November 12, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang said China has provided more than Yuan 177 billion ($24.50 billion) of climate finance since 2016, supporting developing countries’ efforts to cope with climate change. China stepping in and ending the finance logjam would undoubtedly earn the country goodwill from both the developed and the developing world. The final countdown After three iterations in the first week, the second week had a slow start. COP attendees didn’t see a new version of the text until Thursday. Members of the Indian delegation whom CarbonCopy spoke to were cautiously optimistic, but the uncertainty of what the developed countries’ NCQG number would be was a problem. They [developed nations] are trying to come up with creative ways to dodge paying the climate finance bill, sources alleged. This was evident in the iteration released on Thursday where the phrase “absorptive capacity”, which asked developing countries to bring in policies incentivising private finance and creating a fertile ground for investment—yet another attempt to make way for more private finance. But the X remained. Some experts were pragmatic about the final NCQG number. “How to expect $1 trillion to come as low-cost, interest-free grants. For negotiations it is okay, but practically we don’t expect that to happen,” said Vaibhav Chaturvedi, Senior Fellow at Delhi-based Council On Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW). “What could end up happening is the EU [on behalf of the developed nations] saying $300 billion dollars. The developing world is clearly saying $1 trillion. Somewhere in the between you say $500-600 million dollars. It is always the incentive of the [COP] presidency and everyone else to show success. So they may say ‘$500 billion, which is 5 times compared to the earlier floor of $100 billion. This is not as good as what the developing world is asking but it is still a success’,” Chaturvedi added. The G77 + China along with LMDCs and the ADG saw what was to come and quickly changed strategy. They would accept a $600 billion public finance figure and would work towards a larger quantum subsequently, they all said. Then came Freaky Friday. A draft text was released early evening and it sent shockwaves across the venue. The X was finally replaced with the number. It was $1.3 trillion per year, but the catch was that this was the number that climate finance had to scale up to by 2035. Even worse was that the $100 billion goal was replaced with a $250 billion goal, which was not just public finance, but also private, bilateral and multilateral, including alternative sources. Even more troubling was the line “Invites developing country Parties to make additional contributions, including through South–South cooperation, to or supplementing, the goal set forth in paragraph 8 above.” For the developing world, the worst case scenario was now in play. This became known as “a bad deal” by the civil society. A late night press conference by Brazil on Friday night gave attendees an idea of what is to come in the final text. Brazil’s minister of the environment and climate change, Marina Silva, invoked the numbers of an Independent High Level Expert Group (IHLEG) report that had been released at COP29 a few days earlier. “The IHLEG report states we need $300 billion per year by 2030 and $390 billion by 2035. This is a reality that has to be understood. It is a form of kick-starting the process of achieving $1.3 trillion per year by 2030. Developing country resources will be working in a catalytic manner only, but not to replace the commitment by developed countries as written in the Paris Agreement,” she said. This is 300 Friday night ended with news that a closing plenary would be held on Saturday at 10am—a day after COP29 was to officially end. That time came and went but the uncertainty of what is to happen with the text remained. Will developing countries reject the $250 billion? Would they ask for more or would they walk out? “No deal is better than a bad deal” was the chant heard throughout the venue. Whispers of developing country negotiators pushing for $300 billion and trying to keep a mention of Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement — which places the obligation to provide financial resources on developed countries — began doing the rounds. It was down to the wire. Text had to be gavelled, flights had to be taken. It was only just before midnight that the final text arrived. Developing nations were to get $300 billion but as mobilised finance — through public, private and other sources. “What is disappointing is that, first, this is the sum total of all financial flows. Had this been the total (concessional) public finance flows, it would have sent the developing world a signal that there was scope for crowding in more finance leveraging these flows and using them as risk mitigators. Second, there is no discussion around debt forgiveness although it was an important issue on the table. Third, there is no earmarking of what these flows will be for, no focus on additionality and my concern is that most of these will go the mitigation way, leaving the voiceless to bear adaptation costs. Fourth, the reassurance of flows of funds over a decade later does not inspire any confidence. Finally, deliberations for the way forward lack specificity on how to get to the goal of USD1.3 trillion, while talking of imposition of taxes, which is a step in the wrong direction. Thus, the lack of focus on the details leads to a sense of distrust among the parties and does not bode well for future COPs,” explained Sarkar. The controversial sentence inviting developing countries to contribute to climate finance now ended with the word voluntary, to appease angry and tired delegates from developing nations. The text also launched the “Baku to Belém Roadmap to 1.3T” — aimed at scaling up climate finance to developing countries through “grants, concessional and nondebt-creating instruments, and measures to create fiscal space, taking into account relevant multilateral initiatives as appropriate.” But the rest more or less remained the same. Lost chance Despite criticism, the outcome brought mixed reactions. The good news? An agreement was reached. Multilateralism may have still survived. The bad news? With insufficient funds allocated to support transitions in developing countries, expectations for ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) remain low. The reluctance of developed countries to step up where it matters, remains. Sehr Raheja, program officer, climate change, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said, “The call by developed countries for ambitious NDCs was heard frequently at this COP, but the means of implementation to enable high ambition in NDCs does not really seem to have matched the needs. Apart from the quantum of finance, the lack of sub-goals for mitigation, adaptation,loss and damage; the too long timeline of 10 years (“by 2035”) and reduced emphasis on grants and grant equivalent finance have made this outcome a rather weak one. It feels like a totally missed opportunity — NCQG was a chance to course-correct and provide finance to enable necessary climate action in this critical decade. That chance has been lost.” Compounding the challenges, COP29 failed to provide clarity or consensus on pivotal issues, including the Global Stocktake (GST) and the UAE Dialogue along with the Just Transition Work Programme and the Mitigation Work Programme. These unresolved questions now hang over the climate agenda, leaving much work to be addressed at the Bonn Climate Conference in a few months. Optical illusion From rushing the discussions on Article 6 to claiming an early win at the start of the two-week long summit to observers calling the process in the second-week opaque, the Presidency was accused of not following transparent processes. At the closing plenary of COP29, India voiced its strong dissatisfaction with how the final text was negotiated and adopted, delivering a fiery intervention just before the document’s approval. India’s negotiator Chandni Raina accused the Presidency of having “stage-managed” the procedure. She also said that the host has not followed inclusivity on various incidents, along with not letting India share its statement—as requested by the country—prior to any decision on the text adoption. “India does not accept the goal proposal in its present form. The amount that is proposed to be mobilised is abysmally poor. It is a paltry sum. It is not something that will enable conducive climate action that is necessary for the survival of our country. This document is nothing more than an optical illusion. We oppose the adoption of this document,” said Chandni Raina, while making her intervention at the final plenary. COP29 chief negotiator Yalchin Rafiyev refused to answer questions about climate activists being jailed, saying he was focused purely on efforts, “to agree and adopt important decisions on climate action”. A local told CarbonCopy that the day COP29 ended, everyone in Baku celebrated because they could now go back to their lives as schools, universities and offices were ordered to operate remotely to avoid congestion on the road and metro. Looking ahead, COP30 in Brazil is already being referred to as the “NDC COP,” where the second round of the GST will also commence. Yet, without robust financial commitments to back new pledges, COP30 will face an uphill battle to restore faith in the process and deliver meaningful progress.

Delhi hasn’t had a ‘good’ air day in over a year, you may have to wait till 2025

Delhi has not breathed a single ‘good’ air day in the past 443 days, with meteorologists further warning that the national capital was likely to end this year without any ‘clean air’ day. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the last time Delhi’s air quality index was in the ‘good’ category was September 2023. The CPCB data shows Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) on 10 September last year was 45—considered ‘good’, shows an analysis by ThePrint. An AQI of 50 or below is considered ‘good’; ‘satisfactory’ when it is between 51 and 100; ‘moderate’ between 101 and 200; and ‘poor’ when it is between 201 and 300. Anything between 301 and 400 is considered ‘very poor’; while it is marked ‘severe’ when AQI is above 400. This year, the cleanest air recording in Delhi was on 13 September, when the AQI touched 52. The AQI on Tuesday was at 343 in the ‘very poor’ category. “We are yet to record a ‘good’ air day, but we have seen that there has been an increase in the number of ‘moderate’ and ‘satisfactory’ days. We will release the annual air quality analysis soon,” a senior CPCB official told ThePrint. Senior CPCB officials said that since it was nearly December, which usually records the worst air days, it was unlikely that Delhi would record a ‘good’ air day this year. Over the last few weeks, the capital has been reeling under one of the worst pollution spells since monitoring began in the region. On November 18, AQI climbed to 494—categorised in the ‘severe plus’ zone. From 13 November onwards, Delhi has recorded a continuous spell of ‘severe’ AQI—barring two days when it marginally improved but still remained only a few notches short of being categorised in the ‘emergency’ zone. Intense pollution days on rise Weather experts pointed out that Delhi’s pollution levels are becoming more intense. While air quality data shows that there has been no significant difference in the average annual AQI recordings, the levels of ultrafine particulate matter or PM2.5—which tends to log into internal organs, causing long-term health problems—are increasing every year. An analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment, an environmental think tank, showed that in 2023, Delhi’s annual average PM2.5 level was 100.9 micrograms per cubic metre (ug/m3). This was two percent higher than in 2022 and six percent higher than in 2020 when the city’s air was exceptionally clean owing to the Covid lockdown. The analysis also showed a similar pattern in the long-term three-year average recordings from five of the oldest air quality monitoring stations in Delhi—ITO, IHBAS, Mandir Marg, Punjabi Bagh and RK Puram. The 2021-23 average was around three percent higher than the 2020-22 period.

How Delhi Missed The Bus In Bad-Air Fight

Every winter, a greyish haze thickens in the air, with air quality levels reaching hazardous levels. To control the further rise in toxic air quality, several restrictions under Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) come into effect. Currently, schools are switched to online mode, while there is a ban on construction and demolition activities. There is a restriction on the plying of certain vehicles, including BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers, non-cleaner inter-state buses from NCR states, entry of trucks, non-cleaner light commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi, and Delhi-registered BS-IV-and-below diesel-operated medium goods vehicles and heavy goods vehicles. While Delhi's transport sector is a major contributor to pollution, experts say not much has been done to strengthen public transport to reduce the number of private vehicles on the road. As per Economic Survey of 2023-24, Delhi has a total stock of 79 lakh vehicles — and it added 6.5 lakh vehicles during 2023-24, according to the VAHAN database. As much as 90.5% of these are two-wheelers and cars. On a daily basis, as many as 1,100 two-wheelers and 500 private cars are registered on average in Delhi, according to an analysis done by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Delhi sees the daily entry and exit of approximately 1.1 million vehicles. Emission inventory studies for Delhi done by IIT-Kanpur in 2015, TERI-ARAI in 2018, and SAFAR in 2018 point out that the transport sector's contribution to PM2.5 is 20%, 39%, and 41%, respectively. Private vehicles on roads have increased, but the number of public buses is highly inadequate to meet the city's requirements. Sample this: In 2018, Delhi govt informed Supreme Court that the city requires 11,000 buses to meet its transportation needs. However, Delhi currently has 7,683 buses, including govt-run DTC and cluster bus services. Of these, 3,000 CNG buses are more than 10 years old. Traffic police say that an average of 70 buses, including DTC and cluster, break down in the city every day, causing significant traffic congestion, inconvenience to commuters, and increased pollution levels due to idling vehicles. According to CSE, Delhi has around 45 buses per lakh population (considering 2011 census data) as opposed to the service level benchmark of 60 buses per lakh population specified by ministry of housing and urban affairs. Around 1 lakh three-seater auto-rickshaws ply in the city. Delhi Metro currently has an operational network of 348.418 km with 255 stations and an additional 85.982 km with 63 stations in the pipeline. Though Delhi Metro has been recording an increase in passenger journeys and is one of the most preferred modes of public transport, the lack of proper last-mile connectivity is an issue. Besides, a denser network of DMRC is required for routes connecting outer Delhi areas. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE, said despite several technology solutions implemented to control vehicular emissions, vehicles remained the top contributor among the local sources. "This requires massive scaling up of bus transport and its integration with the metro system with efficient last connectivity. This demands adequate, reliable, affordable, and connected public transport service across all neighbourhoods. This progress needs to be monitorable and verifiable," she said. Amit Bhatt, India managing director, International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), said, "To reduce vehicular emissions, we need to look at both the demand and supply sides. There is a need to add more buses, enhance the metro network, and create proper infrastructure for cycling and pedestrian-friendly areas." Another way, Bhatt said, was to restrict the absolute number of vehicles based on successful examples from other countries. "In China, there is a cap on the number of vehicles that can be registered. London has a provision for a congestion tax, while California made it mandatory for vehicle manufacturers to sell a certain percentage of EVs from their total fleet. After Delhi made it mandatory to switch to CNG, the time has come for Delhi to consider a shift to EVs by drawing inspiration from California model and give mandates to manufacturers to sell a portion of their fleet as electric. However, it is also necessary to have proper EV infrastructure at public and private places. For instance, Norway has a provision for the right to charge, and no society, municipal bodies, or others can refuse anyone from charging their vehicles." Former deputy commissioner of transport department Anil Chikara said several studies done in the past stated that 55% of vehicles travelled a distance of up to 5 km, while around 85% of vehicles covered a distance of up to 15 km in Delhi. "The focus should be on reducing the dependency on personal vehicles of those who cover up to 5 km daily. Strengthening the last-mile connectivity can help people switch to public transport," said Chikara. He added that similar to a golf cart, govt should introduce vehicles in the organised sector that could be plied for last-mile connectivity and people could use them on a sharing basis for travelling shorter distances.