Mumbai Climate Action Plan
On 13th March, Mumbai Climate Action Plan (MCAP) was released, which was prepared by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Preparation of MCAP
Before the preparation of MCAP, a vulnerability assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) and natural green cover inventory was conducted. World Resources Institute (WRI), India, and the C40 Cities network provided technical support to BMC for the preparation of the plan.
Highlights of MCAP
The MCAP has laid down a 30-year roadmap for Mumbai to tackle the challenges of climate change. It has set short-, medium- and long-term climate goals to achieve the target of net zero emissions by 2050. It has identified six strategic areas where massive changes will have to be made over the next 30 years.
Energy
The main focus of MCAP will be decarbonizing Mumbai’s energy grid. This is important because 95% of Mumbai’s energy needs are met by fossil fuel sources. MCAP envisages 90% of Mumbai’s energy from renewable sources by 2050. The city will also explore energy sources like tidal power, green hydrogen, etc. There is a plan to shift from LPG to other cleaner methods such as electrified cooktops. MCAP also encourages green buildings.
Transport
The transport sector contributes to a major portion of Mumbai’s emissions. MCAP proposes giving a push to public transport and non-motorized transport. There is a plan to purchase 2,100 electric buses by 2023. Incentives like a reduction in toll charges, parking fees, etc. will be offered to electric vehicles.
Waste management
Every day BMC manages an average of 5,500 million tonnes of solid waste. Even though Solid waste’s contribution to emissions is less, it is the biggest health concern in the city. Thus, there is a need to reduce the quantity of waste generated. The plan proposes a “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” approach. There is a plan to phase out the usage of single-use plastics by 2025.
Air quality
MCAP aims to improve monitoring and forecasting of air quality and also prescribe sector-specific strategies to reduce emissions. Some proposed strategies include reducing traffic congestion by adopting better management systems, banning entry of heavy vehicles during peak hours, promoting renewable energy in industrial units and power plants, etc.
Urban greening and biodiversity
MCAP aims to increase the green cover to 30-40% of the surface area of Mumbai by 2030. It also proposes increasing budget allocation for urban greening, raising funds through green bonds, offering property tax rebates to housing societies that promote urban greening, etc.
Urban flooding and water resource management
MCAP proposes building flood-resilient infrastructure. It also plans to promote water conservation through increasing permeable surfaces, reducing surface run-off of water, making rooftop rainwater harvesting mandatory, etc.
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Month: Current Affairs - March, 2022
Category: Environment Current Affairs