IIMA students to project BRTS' carbon credits

How much will the recently-launched Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) in the city contribute to the country's economy in terms of carbon credits? The Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA) is carrying out a project in coordination with the AMC authorities to find out the answer.

Under the guidance of Amit Garg and PR Shukla, faculties of IIMA, three PGP-2 students - Jyoti Prakash Mishra, Abhishek Mundra and Pankaj Kumar Das - are conducting a project on the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in the city. The objective is to assess the reduction, if any, in the amount of carbon emission or carbon footprint after the introduction of the BRTS.

The amount of carbon emission reduction achieved through various projects in a country are accrued to earn the country's carbon credits, which can be sold to other countries with high carbon emission to cover their shortfall in emission commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.

Talking about the project, Mishra said, "We will be measuring the total carbon footprint of the BRTS corridor in the city, taking into account its construction and operation after its launch. The BRTS buses claim to be low on carbon emission, so if it manages to successfully substitute the private vehicles, it will help us calculate the reduction in the amount of carbon footprints."

He further said, "This will give us an idea of the amount of carbon credits that the BRTS could earn for the country." The project was initiated sometime around the end of September, and findings are expected to be revealed in a span of two months.

About the significance of the project, Garg said, "Clean public transport forms a major component of low-carbon economy throughout the world. The BRTS in the city is the latest of the technologies to take a less carbon intensive path."

"Through the project, students are encouraged to understand these dynamics so that when they enter higher positions in the corporate world they take action to drive the business towards the achievement of a low-carbon society," Garg added.