Seven Net-zero Climate Resilient City Action Plans released at National Workshop on Multi-level action for Climate Resilient Cities
New Delhi: For the first time in South and Southeast Asia, seven Net-zero Climate Resilient City Action Plans 2070, for the cities of Ahmedabad, Rajkot, and Vadodara, Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli, Tiruneveli Udaipur and Siliguri, were released together at the National Workshop on Multi-Level Action for Climate Resilient Cities, held on 18 and 19 September 2024.
These plans are in alignment with India’s ambitious target to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070 as committed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the CoP26 in Glasgow, 2021. The city of Ahmedabad released its Net-zero CRCAP 2070 earlier, in July 2023, during U20 Mayoral Summit, setting a precedent for other cities. This initiative underscores the commitment of Indian cities to combat climate change and enhance community resilience, marking a significant milestone in advancing urban climate resilience in India. This was also a major milestone for the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) supported CapaCITIES project
The CapaCITIES project has significantly enhanced the ability of the eight Indian partner cities to develop and implement low-carbon, climate-resilient strategies, contributing to both national and global climate goals. CapaCITIES also trained the cities in the preparation of large-scale bankable projects.
The workshop was presided over by Tokhan Sahu, Minister of State, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India. The event was also attended by Rahul Kapoor, Joint Secretary, MoHUA, Government of India and Mission Director, Smart Cities Mission, Philippe Sas, Head of International Cooperation and Counsellor, SDC, Dr Debolina Kundu, Director, NIUA and Emani Kumar, Executive Director, ICLEI South Asia. The workshop also brought together more than 150 participants, which included government officials from 30 cities across 16 states in India, and experts from agencies like Asian Development Bank, World Bank and other sector experts.
