This year’s Movin’On Summit held by Michelin took place in Montreal, Canada. The three-day event had over 5,000 participants from 60 countries. Innovative ideas and solutions were discussed and showcased, with sustainable mobility being the underlying theme of the event.
Michelin made an announcement here that by 2048, it aims to produce tyres that are made from 80 percent renewable materials. At present, Michelin tyres are just 28 percent renewable. The Michelin stall showcased its Visionary Concept tyre that was unveiled last year. This is an airless concept tyre, made out of biodegradable materials and is 100 percent recyclable. Its honeycomb structure makes it extremely durable; and what makes it even more unique is that it can be re-treaded using 3D printers, thus effectively solving the tyre-wear issue.
The French tyre maker also announced that it will be investing in technologies to meet its long-term goal of 100 percent tyres being recycled, worldwide – a significant increase from the current 50 percent. The company claims that the potential gains to be achieved from this goal would be equivalent to 33 million barrels of oil saved, per annum.
The other news here was that FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) and PPMC (Paris Process on Mobility and Climate) signed an agreement to work together to propose an India-specific roadmap to achieve a low carbon trajectory in the transport sector in India by 2050. PPMC is an open platform that acts as a facilitator for the Transport sector in the COP 21 Lima Paris Action Agenda. Patrick Oliva, co-founder PPMC stated that their aim is to achieve a net zero global emission economy by 2060-70, and this could be achieved if all governments work together. Speaking on the Indian context Rita Roy Choudhury, FICCI assistant secretary general mentioned that road, air and rail were the focus areas for urban mobility with railways being more crucial for India. “Focus should be more on proper planning of cities considering the rapidly increasing population. Parameters for decarbonisation apart from reducing the carbon footprint should also be considered” she added.
The need to sensitize people, governments, industries and various other stakeholders towards the idea of a sustainable future is now greater than ever. At present, with growing population and several innovations in the transport sector, there’s a need to contain emissions and optimise use of resources for a cleaner and greener future.
Rivan RS 
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
