I was born and brought up in Delhi, the capital city of India. My mind has been boggled ever since I moved to the UK in 2024. My eyes have been opened to the extent to which the United Kingdom is aware of various ways of pollution control and the active efforts the country makes in the direction of sustainability. From electric public transport to clean roads, rivers, waste management, and air pollution control, I have truly been transported to a world of collective sustainable development paradise.
I have always loved travelling. In India alone, I have travelled to 20 out of 30 states and have seen various forms of air pollution, river pollution, and landfills that reach as high as a hill. Delhi alone generates 1,100 tonnes of garbage every day, out of which 22% ends up in drains, which eventually is burned adding to the air pollution (sourced from: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/delhi-struggles-to-bridge-gap-in-plastic-waste-management-experts-say-more-efforts-needed-to-achieve-2024-target-101685904276641.html). The AQI of Delhi on a normal day range from 200-250, which even goes 500+ whereas that in the busiest city in the UK, London, is 3-5 (sourced from: https://www.aqi.in/dashboard/india/delhi/new-delhi). This is deeply concerning.
India, especially Delhi, can learn from the UK by investing in good, eco-friendly public transport (electric and hydrogen buses just like in London, electric buses like Bogota, Colombia, Sweden, China, etc). Biomass and stubble burning also plague India and African countries, which can be resolved by the availability of quick and effective agricultural technology, which helps in waste management. Cities, especially urban areas, can benefit from creating an Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), just like in London, where the entry of diesel motor vehicles can be restricted during certain days. (Sourced from: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/67949257.cms utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst).
Governments can also regulate the use of vehicles using fossil fuels to promote the use of electric vehicles, just like in Beijing, China, where the government has imposed a lottery system to get a license for cars that use fossil fuels, while getting a license for electric vehicles is easier. Another idea is a congestion-pricing scheme like that in New York, the USA, Singapore, Stockholm, and London. (Sourced from: https://citizenmatters.in/from-bogota-to-beijing-how-global-cities-are-leading-the-fight-against-air-pollution/)
I am a business student, having done an IT Engineering, an MBA and strategy, and currently pursuing a Master’s in Finance from the University of Roehampton, London. As a part of my program, I have applied for a summer program in Hong Kong in Artificial Intelligence. I also have 3 years of work experience as a business consultant, where I have gained extensive experience in technological transformations in business. Learning the roles of Artificial Intelligence in business and science will help me gauge the role of AI in achieving Sustainability in the world, at large. After this eye-opening experience, I have decided to use my travel experiences and knowledge to work with governments to strategise, finance and technologically transform daily public operations to align with UN Sustainability Goals, especially devising ways for affordable and clean energy, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, and Climate Action.
