Vehicular Carbon Emissions as a Concern:

Vehicular emissions in urban areas of developed and developing countries is a major cause of concern from the perspective of local and global environmental impacts. Emissions such as CO, unburned HC, Pb compounds, NOx, soot, suspended particulate matter (SPM) and aldehydes etc create negative health impacts such as cough, headache, nausea, irritation of eyes, various bronchial problems and visibility. In global environmental perspective increasing carbon footprints due to transportation in general and vehicular transport in particular proving to be a critical concern for climate change. For example in Delhi, it is estimated that a total 3,000 metric tonnes of pollutants belched out everyday, close to two-third (66%) is from vehicles. Similarly, the contribution of vehicles to urban air pollution is 52% in Bombay and close to one-third in Calcutta. Against 1.9 million vehicular population in 1990 in Delhi, it rose to nearly 3.6 million in the year 2001 (i.e., an increase of nearly 87%). During the same period, Delhi’s population has increased by only 43% (from 9.5 million to 13.8 million) and road-length by merely 14% (from 22,000 Km to 25,000 Km) respectively. Situation is much worse in other major cities partly because of the low levels of geographical area to road area ratio which is relatively higher in Delhi unlike cities like Bangalore 6%, Hyderabad 8% etc.

With the increasing economic wealth, and changing life styles there has been a gradual shift from public mode of transport to private mode of transport in various cities of India partly because of lack of options that are meeting the expectations of cost and comfort. Emissions from vehicles are influenced by multiple factors such as age of the vehicle, technologies used, maintenance of the vehicles, types of fuel used, qualities of fuel, road parameters etc.

Unlike the carbon offsetting initiatives plantation initiative is unique and distinct as it being first of its kind in the developing countries in general and India in particular. It has following advantages firstly in terms of lower transaction costs as it is designed purely as non profit initiative. Secondly all offsetting activities will be undertaken closer to regions where emissions are accounted so as to enable the subscriber an opportunity to witness, understand and repose confidence in the programme and thirdly periodic third party verification is inbuilt mechanism of the programme design there by its credibility get enhanced.

Why Tree Plantation?

Planting of trees will sequester CO2 through photosynthesis thereby contributing to the net reduction in global carbon thereby allowing for the creation of carbon credits. Studies have shown that social, economic and institutional barriers preventing carbon plantations in natural vegetation areas thereby decreases the global plantation's sink potential by 75% or more. Hence encouraging tree plantations especially in tropical regions would not only have immense climate benefits but also attendant socio-economic and environmental benefits make them an attractive proposition. Apart from aesthetic beauty, trees act as barrier for wind, provide cooling effect, shade to cattle, stabilize soil and prevent erosion, they improve water quality by slowing and filtering rain water, as well as protecting aquifers and watersheds etc. The outputs of trees can be an income generating and livelihood opportunity for the poor.

Given these benefits Advit Foundation has selected some of native species such as Banyan Tree, Tamarind, Soap Nut, Pongamia, Mango etc for undertaking avenue and group plantations in collaborations with individual landowners and institutions.