Focus: GS II- Governance
Why in News?
NITI Aayog Celebrates One-Year Anniversary of Shoonya Campaign
About Shoonya campaign :
- Shoonya is a consumer awareness campaign to reduce air pollution by promoting the use of electric vehicles (EVs) for ride-hailing and deliveries.
- The campaign has 130 industry partners, including ride-hailing, delivery and EV companies.
- As part of the campaign, a corporate branding and certification programme is being launched to recognise and promote industry’s efforts towards transitioning to EVs for final-mile deliveries.
- An online tracking platform will share the campaign’s impact through data such as vehicle kilometers electrified, carbon savings, criteria pollutant savings and other benefits from clean delivery vehicles.
Aim:
To accelerate adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the urban deliveries segment and create consumer awareness about the benefits of zero-pollution delivery.
Need for Electric Vehicles:
- Rapid global urbanization and e-commerce sales are driving significant growth in urban freight and mobility demand.
- In India, these sectors are expected to grow at a CAGR of 8% through 2030.
- If this demand is met by internal combustion vehicles (ICE), it would significantly increase local air pollution, carbon emissions, and lead to adverse public health effects.
- EVs offer an opportunity to address these challenges.
- Compared to ICE vehicles, EVs do not emit PM or NOx emissions at the tailpipe; they release 60% less CO2 and have 75% lower operating costs.
- Shoonya supplements existing national and sub-national EV policies as well as corporate efforts in India by creating consumer awareness and demand for zero pollution rides and deliveries in Indian cities.
