India transports billions of tonnes of goods every year. Moreover, this massive movement, known as freight, relies heavily on road transport. Thousands of trucks operate continuously to deliver goods nationwide.
Although trucks represent just 3 percent of vehicles, they generate 53 percent of particulate matter emissions. Furthermore, they produce over 60 percent of black carbon emissions. Additionally, they account for more than 70 percent of nitrogen oxide emissions in road transport.
Rising Freight Demand, Rising Emissions
Medium and heavy-duty vehicles contributed 27 percent of total road transport emissions in 2019-20. However, projections suggest this share could rise to 35 percent by 2030-31. Meanwhile, India’s freight demand may nearly triple in the same period.
A joint report by Smart Freight Centre India, TERI, and IIM-Bangalore presents detailed findings. Consequently, it outlines a national strategy to address the issue.
Why Do Trucks Pollute More?
Heavy vehicles pollute more due to age, fuel type, and operational volume. Most of India’s freight fleet runs on diesel. Additionally, many trucks remain over 10 years old.
Older diesel vehicles emit disproportionate black carbon and particulate matter. Consequently, trucks older than a decade drive much of the pollution burden.
Frequent freight corridors witness concentrated PM and NOx emissions. Therefore, these areas become toxic hotspots. Moreover, city-wide air quality averages often fail to capture these localised impacts.
The Measurement Gap
Despite the scale of emissions, consistent measurement remains rare. Of 800 companies reporting under SEBI’s Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting framework, only 7 percent disclose freight-specific emissions.
Mr Sagar Kadu from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry emphasised integrating freight accounting into logistics systems. However, companies currently use varying methodologies.
The report highlighted one cement company’s emissions calculation. Across five frameworks, results ranged from 265 to 3,000 thousand tonnes of CO2 annually. Consequently, this four-fold difference reflects systemic inconsistency.
A Roadmap to Fix the Problem
The report compares the situation to vendors using different weighing scales. Therefore, inconsistent measurement prevents accurate comparison.
To address this, the report recommends adopting ISO 14083. This global standard calculates transport emissions. Furthermore, it adapts to India-specific freight movement patterns.
Deepali Thakur from Smart Freight Centre India stressed measurement as the foundation for decarbonisation. Once standardised, data enables companies to identify high-emission routes.
Policymakers can then target major emitters accurately. Additionally, transport operators can generate revenue through carbon credits under India’s Carbon Credit Trading Scheme.
The Cost of Inaction
Failure to act carries economic risks beyond air quality. The European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, effective from 2026, imposes penalties on carbon-intensive imports.
Therefore, exporters lacking verified emissions data may face financial penalties. Consequently, Indian companies could lose competitiveness in global markets.
Domestically, inaction results in rising healthcare costs and lost productivity. Furthermore, pollution continues harming communities along freight corridors.
A Solvable Challenge
Despite the scale, solutions exist. The necessary data and global frameworks already operate. Additionally, India now has a locally tailored roadmap.
Targeting the 3 percent of vehicles responsible for most emissions could deliver significant gains. Therefore, focused action offers disproportionate benefits.
