World Economic Forum, National Institute of Urban Affairs tie up for sustainable cities program
2 min read 24 Feb 2022, 09:06 PM ISTThe partnership gains significance on the backdrop of India's commitment at COP26 summit in Glasgow to achieve net zero carbon emission by 2070
PremiumNEW DELHI : The World Economic Forum (WEF) and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to design ‘Sustainable Cities India' program aimed at enabling cities to generate decarbonisation solutions across sectors including energy and transport.
The partnership gains significance on the backdrop of India's commitment at COP26 summit in Glasgow to achieve net zero carbon emission by 2070.
The ‘Sustainable Cities India' intends to enable cities to decarbonise in a systematic and sustainable way that will reduce emissions and deliver resilient and equitable urban ecosystems.
As statement from the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs said that WEF and NIUA will adapt the WEF's 'City Sprint' process and 'Toolbox of Solutions' for decarbonisation in the context of five to seven Indian cities across two years. The City Sprint process is a series of multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder workshops involving business, government, and civil society leaders to enable decarbonisation, especially through clean electrification and circularity.
The outcome of the workshop series will be a shortlist of relevant policies and business models, which not only reduce emissions but also maximize System Value, such as improved air quality or job creation. City Sprints will help to jumpstart and accelerate net zero planning and action.
The process uses the Toolbox of Solutions - a digital platform containing over 200 examples of clean electrification, efficiency and smart infrastructure best practices and case studies across buildings, energy systems and mobility from over 110 cities around the world.
The City Sprint process is also expected to enable cities to run pilot solutions and, based on their findings, India will be able contribute 10 to 40 best practice case studies which will be integrated into the 'toolbox of solutions' and showcased across the world.
Kunal Kumar, Joint Secretary & Mission Director (Smart Cities Mission), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs said “India is committed to become Net Zero by 2070, aligning with its vision for a ‘future ready’ India set by the Prime Minister during the COP26 summit in Glasgow. In realizing this vision to accelerate the clean energy transition, conversation and more importantly, action amongst all actors of the quadruple helix is critical."
He noted that the partnership between NIUA and WEF is an important step and it will help cities in India and cities globally to learn from one another and drive action towards sustainable development and climate resilience.
Kristen Panerali, Head of Energy, Materials, Infrastructure Program - Net Zero Carbon Cities, World Economic Forum, said: “New models of public and private collaboration are needed to make progress towards net zero goals. The City Sprint workshops are designed to enable government and business leaders to work together to identify and implement solutions across energy, mobility and the built environment."
As per the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2022, densely populated countries that are highly dependent on agriculture, such as India, are especially vulnerable to climate insecurity.
