Mumbai 1st In India & 4th In World To Launch Climate Budget
Mumbai, June 5, 2024
With this, the BMC has become the first municipal corporation in the country and fourth in the world to release such a report. The other international cities are Oslo, New York and London, in that order.
With climate tech investments fast catching up across the world, the BMC, on the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5, launched its first Climate Budget Report for 2024-25. With this, it has become the first municipal corporation in the country and fourth in the world to release such a report. The other international cities are Oslo, New York and London, in that order.
Additional municipal commissioner Ashwini Joshi released the report at the BMC headquarters on Wednesday. It was announced that the civic body has allocated Rs10,224.24 crore for climate-relevant activities in Mumbai. This is nearly 32.18% of the capital expenditure of Rs31,774.59 crore.
An additional Rs2,163.8 crore has been allocated towards activities that integrate some components of the Mumbai Climate Action Plan (MCAP), such as LED lights, plantations / landscaping, rooftop solar, and sewage treatment plants in new constructions to make Mumbai net-zero and climate-resilient in the coming years.
Joshi said, “It is everyone’s responsibility to be environmentally conscious. As a municipal corporation, the BMC is acutely aware of this duty. In line with the Paris Agreement on climate change, it is essential to develop diverse, environment friendly infrastructure. The storm water drainage, sewerage projects and operations, the Mumbai sewage disposal project, water supply projects, and the solid waste management departments are directly and indirectly linked to the environment. The primary objective of this budget report is to advocate and prioritise projects that are eco-friendly and are being undertaken by these departments.”
According to civic officials, waste-to-energy projects, the installation of LED lights, and the introduction of electric vehicles are a few measures towards achieving the net-zero emission target.
There is a plan to achieve 100% municipal and private zero-emission vehicles by 2050. Similarly, there is a target to reduce landfill waste by 50% by 2050. An official said, “The development of the waste to energy project at the Deonar dumping ground has been undertaken by the solid waste management department, with a capacity of converting 600 tonne per day of municipal solid waste to generate about 8MW of electricity daily. Another initiative is to install rooftop solar panels at various peripheral hospitals, including LED lights.”
Mumbai is a part of the global C40 Program for climate budgeting. C40 is focused on fighting the climate crisis and driving urban action that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks, while increasing the health, wellbeing and economic opportunities of urban residents.
BMC’s Mumbai Climate Action Plan, published in March 2022, is considered as a roadmap for the city to reduce greenhouse emissions and integrate climate adaptation strategies to better manage increasing climate risks. The report has also identified five key climate risks, like urban heat, urban flooding, landslides, coastal risks and air pollution.
[The Free Press Journal]
