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Follow Delhi Metro is worlds first railway toreceive UN carbon creditsPosted: March 27, 2012

IndiancapitalsrailnetworkCDMcertifiedfornextsevenyearsCitysrailnetworkaverts630,000tonnesofCO2emissionsannually

ByNishthaArora

Oneoftheworldslargestmetronetworks is now also thefirst railway certified by the United Nations (UN) to receivecarbon credits for its role in fighting climate change. In Decemberlast year, Indias DelhiMetroRailCorporationLimited(DMRC) announced that it will receive carbon credits from theUN worth Rs 47 crore (US$9.5 million) annually for the nextseven years.

The rapid transit system, which serves Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida andGhaziabad in the National Capital Region of India, has receivedmuch acclaim for its Modal Shift Project, in which about 1.8million people opt for the intra-city rail system every day. Today,Delhi Metro has become a lifeline for commuters whose choiceswould otherwise be limited to other modes of public transport likebuses, taxis or their personal vehicles most of which are far lessfriendly to the environment.

Anuj Dayal, chief public relations officer for DMRC, explains: Theconstruction and operation of Delhi Metro has complementedother modes of transport in the city and is on its way to replacingpartial trips made by conventional or traditional means of transit.The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project replaces tripsmade by conventional transport modes with the Metro being amore efficient, faster, safer and more reliable option.

Emission reductions are achieved through reducing greenhousegas (GHG) emissions per passenger-kilometre, comparingconventional modes of transport with the Metro. The resourceefficiency of transporting passengers in Delhi by Metro hasimproved, ie, emissions per passenger-kilometre are reducedcompared to the situation had the Delhi Metro not operated.

CDMsuccessstory

The CDM scheme, which is operated by the UN, issues certifiedemissions reduction (CER) credits that are each equivalent to onetonne of CO2 emission averted. The scheme therefore provides afinancial incentive for developing nations to lower their nationalGHG emission levels. It also raises the profile of exemplaryprojects that are helping to reduce environmental pollution in thedeveloping world.

According to the United Nations Framework Convention onClimate Change (UNFCCC), under the CDM, emission reductionprojects in developing countries can earn CER credits.Organisations in industrialised countries can then purchase thesesaleable credits to meet a part of their emission reduction targetsunder the Kyoto Protocol.

No other Metro in the world could get the carbon credit for theabove because of the very stringent requirement of the UN bodyto provide conclusive documentary proof of reduction inemissions, says Dayal. DMRC proposed an innovative method ofproving the emissions using sampling techniques. After rigorouspersuasion, the UN body finally agreed with this technique as it isvery scientific.

DMRCsenviabletrackrecord

Since its inception in 2002, the Delhi Metro has contributedsignificantly to the reduction in the emission of GHGs such as

3/22/2014 Delhi Metro is worlds first railway to receive UN carbon credits | Green Prospects Asia Connecting Sustainable Businesses

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Delhi Metros eight-coach trains by Bombardier can accommodate over 2,400people per trip (photo credit: Delhi Metro Photo Archives)

carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC),nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM) and sulfur dioxide(SO2).

As more and more people switch to the Delhi Metro, pollutionlevels in the city have lowered considerably. Official figures fromDMRC claim that Delhi Metro has helped keep over 100,000vehicles off Delhi roads daily. This will gain the corporationcarbon credits for having contributed to the fight against globalwarming by lowering pollution levels in the city by 630,000tonnes of CO2 every year.

In a scenario where all travelers in the city choose to ride the DelhiMetro instead of driving or taking a bus, they would becontributing towards reducing emissions by approximately 100 gof carbon dioxide for every ten-kilometre trip per person.

This is the second CDM project from DMRC to be registered withthe UN body in the last three years, says Dayal. DMRCs firstCDM project on regenerative braking had also achieved manyinternational firsts apart from earning valuable foreign exchangefor the country. In previous years, DMRC has received a similaraward from the government of India for its first CDM project andalso an award for Best Environment-Friendly Project by the PrimeMinister of India. Canary Trap

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