Carbon neutrality as a human right: Delhi’s promising air quality future

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

India, the world's 3rd largest greenhouse gas emitter has made a worthy promise towards sustainability. At the recent U.N. Climate Summit By 2030, India vowed that almost half of its energy would come from renewables. One of the preeminent impacts of this policy goal, if implemented, is substantially better air quality. Alleviating issues caused by climate change caused by human activity has negative impacts on human rights. Climate change actively hinders the rights to life, self-determination, and quality of life. Within the human rights framework are actions, such as accountability and equity, that can be leveraged for this cause. This paper evaluates the ways in which urban infrastructure and public transportation initiatives in the NCT Delhi to progress toward India’s carbon neutrality target. Leveraging the framework put forth by Nieuwenhuijsen (2020), I evaluate progress on the five components of urban design, pathways, morbidity, mortality and public behavior. Synthesizing latest available research on Delhi’s pollution and air quality measurement, I demonstrate the way in which the complex mixtures of environmental and societal exposures can be curtailed in a way to focus efforts to improve air quality in Delhi. Finally, I provide policy points for integrating the human rights framework in transport initiatives.

Author

• Henry Cho, Ramsey Hall School