DECEMBER 2020AUTOTECHOUTLOOK.COM8IN MY OPINIONROLE OF E-MOBILITY & SHARED TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS IN ADDRESSING CLIMATE EMERGENCYBy Kaushik Burman, VP Strategy | International Expansion, GogoroClimate risk and resilience have been the focus of scientific assessments for the past two decades ­ IPCC SR Ocean & Cryosphere report has done extensive modeling on the historical changes in the ocean and cryosphere since 1950, and projected future changes under low (RCP2.6) and high (RCP8.5) greenhouse gas emissions scenarios. RCPs (Representative Concentration Pathways) are scenarios that include time series of emissions and concentrations of the full suite of GHGs and Aerosols, including chemically active gases, as well as land use / land cover. RCP2.6 represents a low greenhouse gas emission, high mitigation future, that in CMIP5 simulations gives a two in three chance of limiting global warming to below 2°C by 2100. By contrast, RCP8.5 is a high greenhouse gas emission scenario in the absence of policies to combat climate change, leading to continued and sustained growth in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, leading to an increase of up to 5.2°C ­ to contextualize, as of 2017, we were already at 1.1°C. At this unprecedented rate of melting of the glaciers, sea levels are bound to rise, and forecasts lead to a 1-2 meters increase in the sea levels. It bodes a scary future, as cities, ranging from smaller sizes (population 1-2 million) to megacities (population > 10 million) will be at the biggest risk of rising sea levels -- with over 60 cities at risk, globally, at current levels. Infrastructure investments to the tune of trillions of dollars into roads, homes and commercial establishments, warehouses would be at risk of inundation, displacing millions of people from their livelihood. Transportation contributes to as high as 30% of total emissions, and on-road mobility of both goods and people is a significant portion of the emissions landscape -- hence abatement is a critical imperative, if we want our urban ecosystem to thrive. I share a few observations on key trends which have high potential to decarbonize the transport segment. Environmental benefits from Asset Sharing > Asset OwnershipA paradigm shift has already taken place in the previous decade, with the advent of ride hailing service providers. Kaushik Burman
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