City sets green targets for 2050 as Mumbai’s Climate Action Plan unveiled

Launched by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, the 240-page MCAP is India’s first climate action plan to set short, medium and long-term climate goals aimed towards a net-zero (zero emission of greenhouse gas) target for 2050.

Speaking at the virtual event, Thackeray said, “Till 2050, the forecast is that 80 per cent of Nariman Point in South Mumbai will be underwater if no concrete action is taken. Therefore, this plan comes at a crucial time.”

The plan aims to serve as a 30-year road map for the city to tackle the challenges of climate change by adopting inclusive and robust mitigation and adaptation strategies.

After a vulnerability assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) and natural green cover inventory over the last six months, the BMC prepared the plan with technical support from the World Resources Institute (WRI), India and the C40 Cities network.

Rise in temperature and extreme rain events are the two major climate challenges, as per the vulnerability assessment. The analysis has revealed a warming trend over 47 years (1973-2020) with an increase of 0.25°C per decade for the city.

A ward-level analysis of heat exposure indicates that 40 per cent of the population residing in the M-East ward — one of the most populated areas in the city, covering Deonar, Govandi and housing one of the largest landfills in the state capital — is exposed to heat stress as opposed to 0.9 per cent of residents of A Ward. Heat stress is when the body’s internal mechanism to control heat fails and the core temperature rises, increasing the heart rate.

The action plan adopts an evidence-based planning approach and mobilises resources to move from action planning to strategic projects.

The MCAP focuses on six sectors – Energy and Buildings, Sustainable Waste Management, Sustainable Mobility, Urban Green and Biodiversity, Air Quality, Urban Flooding, and Water Resource Management.
The six sectors further have 24 priority actions along with deadlines, stakeholders involved, financing sources and monitoring indicators. For example, to increase the proportion of renewable energy to 50 per cent by 2030 and 90 per cent by 2050 in Mumbai’s energy mix, the plan has set one of the goals to be achieved in 2021-22 at ensuring that 100 per cent of the electricity used by BMC and other municipal agencies is from renewable sources.

The vulnerability assessment has also sounded alarm bell for the city’s population at the risk of urban flooding. The analysis found that over 35 per cent of Mumbai’s population is living within the influence of (within 250m radius buffer) BMC-reported flooding hotspots. Of these, Sion-Wadala (F northward) has the highest number of flooding hotspots — 54.

To ensure impact reduction, the plan has set an eight-year target to integrate past and future climate risks, trends and projections in planning for and ensuring climate-proofing of private and public buildings.

The MCAP has also set an ambitious target of reaching complete carbon neutrality by 2050, two decades ahead of the country’s target of 2070, which was committed in COP-26 in Glasgow.

Cabinet Minister for Environment, Tourism and Protocol Aaditya Thackeray said working on climate action is very important now. “Various recent extreme weather disasters in Maharashtra, such as Cyclone Tauktae, urban floods, and untimely rains, have demonstrated the importance of implementing localised mitigation and resilience techniques. Even today, in March, we are already seeing temperatures nearing 40 degrees C. Mumbai is likely the first city to be making such a detailed climate action plan in the country. The document will likely be the most important in the coming two decades.”

The plan’s interim and long-term objectives include a 30 per cent decrease in emissions by 2030, a 44 per cent reduction by 2040, and a net-zero reduction by 2050 compared to base year emissions (2019).

For 2019, the base year emissions were calculated at 23.42 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2e), or 1.8 tonnes CO2e per person.

To ensure implementation and better coordination between departments and varied city agencies, BMC will create a climate action cell, revise the plan every five years and appoint a dedicated scientist and chief planner for climate change.

BMC commissioner IS Chahal said the civic body will not lag in implementing the plan. “Currently, infrastructure projects worth over Rs 40,000 crore are in process which are working towards making Mumbai climate-resilient,” he added.

On the controversial Mumbai Coastal Road project, Chahal said it will reduce carbon emissions and improve mobility. The project is in the eye of a storm as it requires reclaiming 111 hectares of area in the Arabian Sea.