Shifting to Net Zero:
A Case Study of New Delhi
2022 UNU-IAS
ProSPER.Net Leadership Programme

Rajat
Rajat is a doctoral student at
Hokkaido University. His research
interest is the application of remote
sensing technology for the
sustainable development of
terrestrial ecosystems.
Yen Nguyen
Yen works for the Center for
Higher Education Technology-
Science Transfer-Research under
the Association of Vietnam
Universities and Colleges.
Kaidi Ru
Kaidi is a consultant for corporate
clients in the construction and energy
sectors and is interested in topics
intersecting technology, public policy,
and development.
Padmi is a doctoral student
at the University of Texas at Arlington,
focusing on nature-based solutions for
sustainable water management and climate
change for resilient urban areas
Padmi Ranasinghe

Project Background
The capital of India
City area 1,483 sqKm.
UN population projection in 2022 is
32M, and it will be 43.3M by 2035
(UN Population Prospects).
Length of Railway 184 km.
One of the highest registered
vehicles in any city worldwide.
No pollution emission norm.
City residents lost multiple hundred
million hours due to traffic.

2nd ≈11.5m
Delhi's transport sector is
the second largest emitter in
the city after domestic use
Registered motor vehicles in
2021, with 40% of road deaths
being pedestrians (495 persons)
Key Transport Issues in Delhi
30%
Vehicle exhaust accounts for 30% of
PM2.5 concentrations, with diesel-
based Heavy duty trucks contributing
to a third of the problem

Improving Public
Transport Network
& Infrastructure
Enhancing Walkability
and Building
Pedestrian & Cyclists-
Friendly Communities
Promoting
Non-Motorized
Transport & Low
Carbon Transport
Reducing Vehicular
Pollution

Project Timeline
Constructing a BRT Corridor between
Ambedkar Nagar to Delhi Gate Installing city-wide intelligent signaling system Retrofitting existing infrastructure along the 15 BRT corridors
Augmentating state-owned CNG Bus Fleet (↑ mode share) Retrofitting Railway Terminals Accessible EV Charging Station Networks
Improving Interchange Infrastructure Modernization of all Bus Queue shelters Completion of 8 rail corridors in NCR
PUBLIC
TRANSPORT
IMPROVEMENTS
Implementing city-wide bike sharing scheme Smart land planning and mixed zoning measures
Inclusion of designated pavement, greenery, NMT
crossings at required street interval
Awareness campaigns
Retrofitting old street lights to make cycling
and walking safe and convenient
Providing dedicated drop-o / pick-up bays on
all arterial roads
Retrofitting key junctions
for safe mobility Adding walking and cycling track within 1km of all metro stations
Accessible amentities, e.g.
resting areas and WCs at intervals
Tightening vehicle emission test procedures
Creating financing mechanism for public transport
from fuel-based vehicle manufacturing Establishing congestion charging at key areas
Implementation of automatic fare
collection system on all public transport
Prohibiting non-destined vehicles to enter Delhi
Tax increase on private
fuel-based vehicles Modernization of parking systems
City-wide mobile enforcement
monitoring vehicular pollution
Levy of Environment Compensation Charge on
commercial vehicles entering Delhi
Inter-state borders enforcment
to monitor vehicle overloading
Providing dedicated
drop-o / pick-up bays
2023 2027 2031 2035
WALKABILITY
AND NON-
VEHICLE
MOVEMENTS
AUXILLARY
SERVICES &
REGULATORY
SUPPORT

Result Based Project Framework
Inputs Outputs
Actions Outcomes
Awareness-raising to prompt local
stakeholders to challenge the status quo,
targeting areas with few public
transports access
Collaborating with current academic and
industry partners to enhance proprietary
innovations in urban tra ic management
Developing bike and pedestrian friendly
amenities such as bike safety boxes, bike
lanes, bike-sharing docks, multilingual
signage, and eliminating cul-de-sacs
Establishing feedback and feed-forward
communication channels to easily report
and share transit delays and service
outages
Designing and coding a real-time GIS APP
detailing cost, time saved, carbon
footprint with various private and public
transport options
Seasonal public consultation with
relevant stakeholders esp. hospitals,
schools, and tourist sites for collective
solution design
Increasing transport connectivity by
developing Park & Ride sites, solar car
parks, and EV charging stations at key
locations
Building all-weather, climate resilient
arterial roads and explore multiple forms
of public transport such as regional Bus
Rapid Transit
City and district-level air quality data
City and district-level data on the number
of people hospitalised for relevant
respiratory diseases by disease type
City and district-level data on road safety
accidents by vehicle type and occurrence
Human capital and GIS/GPS based
monitoring system for on-time transit
Funding for public transport reforms and
infrastructure development
List of existing urban development plans
to highlight local development gaps and
priorities
Current emission figures from the
transport sector
Relevant research and studies on the
status quo
List of current tra ic management system
technologies applied
Vehicle registration statistics by type, year,
permit, and ownership
Availability of public transport by type &
map overlay by district with desire lines
Datasets from Open Transit Data Delhi
Sector Specific
Regulatory Support
Health & Safety
Enhanced walkability and cycling in
Delhi
Reduced number of tra ic fatalities and
the number of serious injuries due to
tra ic collisions
Reduce public transport service outages
due to technological glitches and signal
failures to zero
Reduce wasted customer-hours of
weather-related transit service outages
Increase rail transit capacity into central
Delhi between 8-9am by 20% by 2035
Ensure the average Delhi resident can
reach their jobs by public transport
within 45 minutes by 2035
Halve PM2.5 pollutants emitted from
vehicle exhaust by 2035
Improved public health from lowered air
pollution levels, esp. regarding non-
communicable respiratory diseases
Expanded EV charging station network
covering major governmental
institutions, hospitals, and universities
Higher confidence in vulnerable
populations and women to use public
transport at night-time
Promoting sharing-rather-than-buy
private transport mindset
Revised policy incentives and
disincentives, e.g., subsidies for EV
purchases and usages and gradual
phasing out of diesel HDVs
Completion of Delhi Cycle Walk Project
Phase 1; build 36 km of dedicated
corridor for pedestrians and cyclists
Produce multilingual maps for domestic
and local tourists to enjoy the Cycle Walk
Reviewed documentation on vehicle
permit granting process to streamline
vehicle registration and operation
processes
Reviewed public transport pricing
strategies and mechanisms to incentivise
o -peak travelling
Weekly social media campaigns on
public transport availability and road
safety, targeting cyclists and auto-
rickshaw operators
Installation and application of intelligent
tra ic microwave detectors at key
junctions to optimise routing during rush
hours
APP for everyday travel as well as a
marketplace to facilitate second-hand EV
purchases and motorcycle/bicycle
retrofitting
Updated police patrolling schedules to
deter night crimes in public transport
venues
Reducing
emissions from
the transport
sector in Delhi
by 40% by 2035

Challenges, Risks, and Mitigating Measures Part I

Challenges, Risks, and Mitigating Measures Part II

Challenges, Risks, and Mitigating Measures Part III

Monitoring and Evaluation Framework I
Indicator Data Source Timing Responsibility
Reference
to SDG
Percentage of people travel in public transport in City of New
Delhi
Transport data
6
months
Transport Department, Ministry of Road Transport
and Highways, Delhi Transport Cooperation
Ministry of Railways
9.1.2
11.2.1
13.2.2
Percentage of increase Passenger and freight volumes in public
transportation, by mode of transport (including rush hours,
night, weekend)
Transport data
6
months
Transport Department, Delhi Transport
Cooperation Ministry of Railways
9.1.2
Extent of walkable and cyclable paths in the city (Km)
Road / urban
development
ministry data
6
months
Transport Department, Department of Urban
Development, Urban Local gov. bodies
13.2.2
Percentage of electric vehicle running in an average day (Buses,
trains, private own vehicles, taxies etc)
Vehicle
registration data
annual
Transport Department, Department of Urban
Development Urban Local gov. bodies
12.c.1
13.1.3
Percent of Air quality improvement in the City
Air quality
monitoring data
6
months
State and Central Pollution Control Board
Department of Environment
9.4.1
11.6.2
13.2.2

Monitoring and Evaluation Framework II
Indicator Data Source Timing Responsibility
Reference
to SDG
Percentage of reduction of road
accidents in the city
Police
records/hospital
records
annual
Police Department TransportDepartment,Ministry of Road Transport and
Highways, Delhi Transport CooperationMinistry of Railways
3.6.1
Number of street tra ic light and
lighting instalment
Road /urban
development
ministry data
annual
Transport Ministry and Department of Urban DevelopmentUrban Local gov.
bodies
3.61.1
Extent of retrofitted area
Urban
development Dep.
data
annual
Department of Urban Development Urban Local gov. bodiesNational Capital
Region Planning boardTransportationDepartment,Ministry of Road Transport
and Highways
9.1.2
9.4.111.3.1
Number of street trees planted
Tree census, GIS
data
6
months
Park & Recreation department, Department of Environmental Department of
Urban Development Urban Local gov. bodiesCommunity groups
11.7b.2
13.1.313.2.2
Number of New policies and laws
for emission reduction by
transportation
Legal documents
6
months
Legal bodies and relevant ministries

References
Delhi Tra ic Police (2018). Vehicle Registration and Accident Statistics. [online] Road Accidents In Delhi, pp.9–19. Available at:
https://delhitra icpolice.nic.in/sites/default/files/uploads/2019/08/Chapter-2%20Vehicle%20Registration%20and%20accident%20statistics.pdf [Accessed 14
Dec. 2022].
Department of Transport (2022). Switch Delhi. [online] EV Policies in Delhi. Available at: https://ev.delhi.gov.in/# [Accessed 14 Dec. 2022].
Department of Transport and IIIT-Delhi (2022). Open Transit Data Datasets. [online] Open Transit Data Delhi. Available at: https://otd.delhi.gov.in/ [Accessed 14
Dec. 2022].
Goel, R. and Guttikunda, S. (2015a). Role of urban growth, technology, and judicial interventions on vehicle exhaust emissions in Delhi for 1991-2014 and 2014-
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data [Accessed 13 Dec. 2022].
Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (2017). Delhi State Action Plan On Climate Change. [online] Government of India. Available at:
http://moef.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Delhi-State-Action-Plan-on-Cimate-Change.pdf [Accessed 14 Dec. 2022].
Ministry of Urban Development (2016). Delhi National Urban Transport Helpline Operations. [online] SMARTNET - Solutions Exchange for Urban Transformation
in India. Available at: https://smartnet.niua.org/sites/default/files/resources/delhinuth.pdf [Accessed 14 Dec. 2022].
Transport Department of the Government of NCT of Delhi (2018). Types Of Permit And Its Condition. [online] Transport Permits. Available at:
http://web.delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/doit_transport/Transport/Home/Permits/Types+Of+Permit+And+Its+Condition [Accessed 13 Dec. 2022].
UrbanEmissions.Info (2022). Emissions in Delhi – Road Transport. [online] Emissions in India. Available at: https://urbanemissions.info/delhi-india/emissions-
delhi-road-transport/ [Accessed 14 Dec. 2022].
World Bank (2011). India Transportation. [online] Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2011/09/23/india-transportation.

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