Contending Global Warming by Popularising Environment-Friendly-Fuel Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)

The release of greenhouse gases into the air leads to depletion of ozone layer, which in turn causes global warming and several associated natural disasters. Vehicular emissions due to use of fossil fuels is the principal cause of atmospheric pollution, and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is a cheaper eco-friendly alternative, as it produces fewer undesirable gases. However, high price of CNG vehicles is a major barrier to wider and quicker adoption as a fuel. Public mass-transportation vehicles swiftly adopted CNG since they could easily recover the installation cost. The purpose of the present study is to explore how social marketing approach can be used to make CNG a success among private vehicle owners. This will go a long way in reducing hazards related to air pollution and aid in managing possible atmospheric disasters. The research comprises three case studies—CNG in public transport buses in Delhi; Maruti Udyog Limited; and the CNG kit market. The study found that though legal notification can forcibly engineer a shift to CNG, a voluntary shift would require convincing the public about the benefits of CNG, and removing any doubts associated with it. CNG vehicles are not popular among customers due to several perceived fears like, price of fitment, concerns of safety, reduced boot space, and waiting time at CNG filling stations. This was revealed during analysis of data collected from 250 households in Delhi and NCR, which prevented people to switch to CNG. Designing a people-oriented campaign or social marketing strategy can cause social acceptance of green fuels, by building awareness and addressing perceived fears, making the CNG kits affordable, and opening more CNG fueling stations. Partnership among all the stakeholders should be encouraged. The government should have a vibrant policy to phase out fossil-fuel-operated vehicles, and promote CNG, to reduce the occurrence of atmospheric hazards and disasters.