CM to address C-40 Summit via video conference today

New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will address the C-40 Climate Change Summit through a video conferencing on Friday and will give a speech during the session on solutions to tackle air pollution. The Delhi CM has accepted the request of the summit organisers to deliver his address through video conferencing in the session titled "breathe deeply, city solutions for clean air". The CM will also address a joint press conference through video conferencing with mayors of six major world cities at 12 pm on Friday.

After a formal introduction by Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 Cities, speeches by various delegates will be given. The speeches in the press conference will start with Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo followed by Mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, then Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen, and then Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal.

Kejriwal is also likely to share the experience of how Delhi became the first city in the world to successfully implement the odd-even experiment for restricting the vehicular traffic on the roads of the city, which led to a reduction in air pollution in the city.

In 2016, Delhi began with odd-even, which resulted in roads free of congestion, less dust and less smoke, and most importantly air pollution began to dip. C40 Cities connects more than 90 of the world's leading cities to take bold climate action and build a healthier and more sustainable future.

On Wednesday, the central government defended its decision to deny permission to Kejriwal to attend a climate summit in Denmark, saying it is meant for "mayor-level" participants, but an angry

AAP termed it a "very lame excuse" and an insult to the people of Delhi.