Why Indian states and cities need climate action
Live MintCoastal cities around the world, including Mumbai, face the risk of being inundated by 2050, according to a recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. On the sidelines of ‘Climate Crisis 2.0: Mobilizing Finance for Coastal Cities’, a conclave organised by the think tank Mumbai First this week in the financial capital, Lounge spoke to Atul Bagai, India head, United Nations Environment Programme, about climate funding, adaptation and climate change risks. What I have found is that different departments, like power/energy, transportation or agriculture, don’t seem to be aware or realise that the policies or actions they take might contribute to climate change or environmental damage. While it’s important that national and international budgeting takes into account urban climate action needs, there is a lot of discussion and narrative about what finance is available outside the public sector. So, in the next decade or 50 years, if we can have a more sustainable consumption approach, resulting in sustainable production approach, whatever cost maybe needed for climate action will be minimised.