Including SDGs in low-carbon transport scenarios: A case of Udaipur

Abstract

Transportation is fundamental to shaping urban form and quality of life. The transport sector contributes to a quarter of global GHG emissions. It is integral to countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to mitigate global warming or control warming beyond 2 ℃ or 1.5 ℃ above the pre-industrial level. Climate change mitigation in the transport sector demands a tailored approach for cities of the global south—recently urbanizing with increased dependence on motorization—incorporating social aspects of sustainability. The study examines the delivery of climate change mitigation and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in Udaipur’s passenger transport sector through six SDGs. Over and above the business-as-usual scenario, the two scenarios presented are the technology scenario, which recalibrates Udaipur’s available low-carbon mobility plan, and the SDG scenario, which addresses social transformations by applying assumptions derived from the primary survey in the city. The socially sensitive SDG scenario prioritizes the mobility demands of those with low or no mobility. It also enhances mobility by retaining the share of non-motorized transport (NMT), intermediate public transport (IPT), and public transport (PT) and regulating excessive use of private motorized vehicles. However, the SDG scenario causes a 26% increase in the vehicle kilometer traveled (VKT), a 24% increase in CO 2 emissions, and a 29% decrease in other GHG emissions over the Technology Scenario.