India engages with 50by50 campaign
11/27/2009
The Indian government has welcomed the ’50 by 50’ global fuel economy campaign with enthusiasm as it takes forward its own agenda for promoting greater fuel efficiency.
Kamal Nath, India’s Minister for Transport and Highways opened the Global Fuel Economy Initiative (GFEI) Indian Symposium in Delhi on 25 November and gave his full backing to the ’50 by 50’ initiative. The campaign for a 50% improvement in car fuel economy by 2050, is run by the FIA Foundation along with the International Energy Agency, the UN Environment Programme and the International Transport Forum.
In his opening address to the symposium, which was organised by the FIA Foundation, Minister Nath said that he is fully engaged with the 50 by 50 campaign. “The Indian government is committed to working with all stakeholders for promoting fuel efficient transportation. I’m confident that the 50 by 50 initiative will add new momentum to our efforts,” he told delegates.
He said he has high hopes for India’s role in the future development of the GFEI. “I believe that India can serve as an important pivot, as the key to a new global energy economy,” he said. “This 50 by 50 challenge is a very laudable initiative.” The symposium included high level delegates from industry, government, international agencies and NGOs.
The fuel economy issue is becoming critical for the Indian government. Just before the symposium, Minister Nath had announced that by 2011, it will be mandatory for automobile manufacturers to sell vehicles with energy-efficiency labels. The information on the labels will have to be certified by the India’s Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
India is already recognised as a leader in fuel economy with lower than average levels of fuel consumption. This is due to the makeup of its fleet, where smaller vehicles and two-wheelers are predominant. The average fuel consumption in India is a little more than 6litres/100km, whereas the US is closer to 9l/100km and Europe is close to 7l/100km.
The challenge for India is to retain its current levels, although the country does face the prospect of increasing demand for larger vehicles in the years ahead which could result in less a favourable fuel economy picture.
Sheila Watson, Executive Secretary of the GFEI and Director for Environment the FIA Foundation, said:
“India’s vehicle fleet is growing rapidly and fuel economy must be addressed both for energy security and climate goals. Our initiative is aiming at a global 50% improvement in fuel economy for cars worldwide – India has a great starting point due to the number of small vehicles in its fleet. We must now look to the future and ensure that as India’s vehicle market moves on, fuel consumption does not spiral out of control.”
The GFEI symposium was the initiative’s first in India and it resulted in much positive discussion both with government and manufacturers. Issues covered during the symposium included India’s energy security challenges, the regulatory picture, the need for air quality to be addressed, and the role of consumers in pushing the fuel economy agenda forward.