Climate change: DMRC comes under UN plan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 4

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has been registered as the world's first transport sector project under the Programme of Activities (PoA) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), enabling it to quantify climate change benefit from all Metro operations in India, a statement said today.

The move will also facilitate the fast-tracking of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) registration of all the upcoming rail-based projects in the country which will entitle them to carbon credits for the extent of reduction in emissions, which could be traded in the international carbon market for money.

"Thus, for claiming carbon credits in future, DMRC will be the managing entity for all other metros of India under the Programme of Activity (PoA) mechanism which will also facilitate fast-tracking of their CDM registration," a DMRC spokesperson said.

PoA is a UN-mandated mechanism which allows similar carbon credit projects to be clubbed together that can be operated and managed under a single umbrella.

A recent study by the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) claimed that Delhi Metro has helped keep more than 3.9 lakh vehicles off roads in 2014, thus saving Rs 10,364 crore in terms of less fuel consumption and other benefits.

In 2008, DMRC had become the first railway project in the world to be registered by the United Nations under the CDM, enabling it to claim carbon credits.

The first project in this PoA will reduce approximately 6.3 lakh tons of carbon dioxide. This will quantify the climate change benefit accrued from Metro operation in an internationally accepted format. The Green House Gas reduced due to the first registered project under the PoA is equivalent to getting 3.7 lakh cars off road.