Mumbai, June 4 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday presented the Carbon Credit Certificate and Carbon Neutral Certificate for Metro Lines 2A and 7, saying that it is a significant step towards green transport and climate-friendly infrastructure in Maharashtra.
This milestone marks Lines 2A (Dahisar East to DN Nagar) and Line 7 (Dahisar East to Gundavali) as carbon-neutral corridors, reinforcing Maharashtra’s vision for a greener, more sustainable urban transport ecosystem, said a release issued by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
CM Fadnavis said, “Carbon neutrality is no longer a global aspiration, it is a local responsibility. Maharashtra is proud to lead the nation with certified climate-conscious mobility solutions through MMRDA’s metro systems.”
Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited (MMMOCL) initiated a third-party audit to assess the carbon neutrality of these corridors. The audit confirmed compliance with PAS 2060:2014, the international standard for carbon neutrality.
Additionally, the Universal Carbon Registry (UCR) has certified the issuance of 85,849 Carbon Offset Units (CoUs) to MMMOCL for the two years between January 2023–December 2024– “Modal Shift for Lines 2A and 7.”
Looking ahead, MMRDA has begun registering under-construction metro lines 2B, 4, 4A, 5, 6, 7A, and 9 under the VERRA Carbon Registry, the world’s leading standard for GHG emission reductions. This positions Mumbai as a national pioneer in climate-aligned urban transit.
“Carbon neutrality refers to balancing the amount of carbon emitted with an equivalent amount offset, resulting in a net-zero carbon footprint. For metro operations, this involves calculating all emissions primarily from electricity consumption and offsetting them through verified carbon credit projects. These credits arise from emission reductions due to a shift from personal vehicles to public metro systems,” said the MMRDA in a release.
The essence of this initiative lies in the substantial environmental advantage of metro travel over private transportation. By enabling this modal shift, MMRDA has effectively reduced the carbon footprint of thousands of daily commuters across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
An impressive reduction of 85,849 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (TCO₂eq) has been achieved by comparing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per passenger-kilometre between metro systems and road-based vehicles, said the release.
For a dense and rapidly growing city like Mumbai, carbon neutrality has far-reaching implications including reduction in urban air pollution and improved public health, lower greenhouse gas emissions in alignment with India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), strengthened climate resilience by reducing dependency on fossil fuels and attraction of global climate finance and green investments due to certified infrastructure.
Deputy Chief Minister & MMRDA Chairman Eknath Shinde said, “Mumbai’s future is green, modern, and inclusive. The certification of Metro Lines 2A and 7 as carbon-neutral shows that our infrastructure is not only world-class in quality but also deeply committed to environmental sustainability.”
Metropolitan Commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee stated, “At MMRDA, sustainability is not an afterthought; it is at the core of our planning and execution. From carbon-neutral metro operations to multimodal integration and green mobility initiatives, every project we undertake is aligned with the vision of building a climate-resilient and environmentally responsible Mumbai. This recognition affirms that infrastructure can be both progressive and planet-friendly.”
MMMOCL managing director Rubal Agarwal said, “We are proud to operationalise carbon-neutral metro corridors. With verified carbon credits and future VERRA projects, MMMOCL is actively leading the shift toward net-zero public transport.”
–IANS
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