“Currently, there are only two transport systems registered as CDMs in the world. One is the Delhi Metro, and the second is the Bus Rapid Transit project in Bogota, Colombia,” said Rita Roy Choudhary, who has helped to write the report of the FICCI Climate Change Task Force, released on Tuesday.

The CDM earns Certified Emission Reductions (CER) by propagating green technologies. At present, the DMRC can claim 400,000 CERs for 10 years, amounting to Rs 1.2 crore per year.

Explaining the CDM, Delhi Metro spokesperson Anuj Dayal said, “We are using the regenerative braking system as a CDM. Whenever a train applies brakes, the released kinetic energy starts a machine called converter-inverter, which acts as an electricity generator and supplies electrical energy back to the Over Head Electricity (OHE) lines.

“The regenerated electricity supplied back to the OHE is then used by other accelerating trains in the same line, which saves about 30 per cent electricity.”

Now, the Delhi Metro is looking forward to create a second CDM project. “We are working on claiming carbon credits for the greenhouse gas emission saved by commuters who use Metro than buses or cars,” he said.

The FICCI report emphasises the potential of transport sectors to start CDMs.

“Transport is a system with great potential for CDM’s. This has been recognised in international summits on climate change. But unfortunately, the potential of the sector has not been realised,” said Prodipto Ghosh, former Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, and Chairman, FICCI Climate Change Task Force.