A 2013 scientific assessment of black carbon emissions and impacts found that black carbon is second to carbon dioxide in terms of its climate forcing. High concentrations of black carbon in the atmosphere can change precipitation patterns and reduce the amount of radiation that reaches the Earth's surface, which affects local agriculture. Acute and chronic exposures to particulate matter are associated with a range of diseases, including chronic bronchitis and asthma, as well as premature deaths from cardiopulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute lower respiratory infections. The transportation sector accounted for approximately 19 percent of global black carbon emissions in the year 2000. This report aims to inform efforts to control black carbon emissions from diesel-based transportation in developing countries. It presents a summary of emissions control approaches from developed countries, while recognizing that developing countries face a number of on-the-ground implementation challenges. A cost-benefit framework for economic analysis of diesel black carbon emissions control transport projects is also presented that factors in both climate and health benefits.

Accelerated adoption of clean vehicle and fuel policies would save 25 million years of life cumulatively by 2030 and reduce early deaths by more than 210,000 lives in 2030 and the greatest single health gains would occur in China and India by preventing 90,000 early deaths, about 40 percent of the global total. Read more in this new report by ICCT.

The 2013 Auto Fuel Policy Committee is charged with establishing a roadmap for vehicle emission and fuel quality standards in India through 2025.

Investing in ultra-low-sulfur fuel (ULSF, fuels with less than 10 ppm sulfur content) and clean vehicle technologies in India will not come without costs. But the benefits of these investments, in terms of reduced healthcare costs and higher productivity, far outweigh the costs. This paper discusses these issues in detail.