Beyond the tailpipe: Centre moves to map life-cycle carbon emissions of all vehicles, end debate on norms

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. NEW DELHI : India plans to map the carbon emissions of every vehicle segment over their life cycles to assess their impact on climate and help prepare a clear policy aimed at making the country a globally competitive clean-mobility hub by 2047, two people aware of the developments said.

The move is also expected to help settle future debates over automobile emission norms that have divided the industry, they said. The ministry of heavy industries, in consultation with industry and academia, is drawing up a new playbook to track decarbonization levels from various powertrains in the world’s third-largest automobile market, according to the draft Automotive Mission Plan (AMP) 2047, the two people said.

Mint reviewed the draft. The life-cycle analysis (LCA) would include calculation of the emissions of a vehicle throughout the value chain, starting from the mining of critical minerals and metal ores used in the auto industry to the scrapping of vehicles and the recycling of electric vehicle batteries.

Emission analyses are currently done on the basis of tailpipe emissions, or at best, well-to-wheel (WTW) assessments, which measure the energy consumption and greenhouse gas output of a fuel from its origin to its use by a vehicle. These estimates miss large chunks of climate impact, especially of manufacturing and end-of-life disposal, according to the draft AMP, which will set interim goals for 2030, 2037 and 2047.

A clear policy pathway for the auto sector in the form of AMP 2047 assumes importance as it contributes 7.1% of India’s total economic output and almost half of the country’s manufacturing output. “The life-cycle analysis of all vehicle segments could answer questions about