Hyderabad April 17, (Telugu Bullet) Hyderabad has employed a multi-pronged strategy to transform into a climate resilient and low-carbon city, Mayor Vijayalaxmi Gadwal said on Friday.
Interacting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and mayors from various countries on “Advancing a carbon neutral, resilient recovery for cities & nations”, she said the city intend to achieve this with the help of its residents, the private sector, stakeholders and development partners.
Hyderabad was only city from South Asia invited to speak at the conference.
Gadwal sought partnership with the world body for the transfer of technical know-how and technology and access to climate funds. “We look to the leadership of the UN Secretary General to encourage collaborative action,” she said.
She said Hyderabad is developing a City Biodiversity Index, 64,000 hectares of urban forests, and is planting over 5 million saplings to enhance “our carbon sinks significantly”.
She pointed out that Telangana is now a preferred destination for electric vehicles and allied components.
“We expect to reduce our power demand by 15 per cent by focusing on renewable energy. Online compliance systems for the energy conservation building code are in place,” the Mayor said.
“I know that our journey towards a climate-neutral city is long and arduous. Building the resilience of our communities and contributing to meet the Paris Agreement’s goal is my priority,” she added.
She pointed out that Hyderabad is the fourth most populous city of India, a member of ICLEI and a city recently recognized as the Tree City of the World by FAO.
“We meet at a critical time when the twin dangers of Covid and climate change are challenging our very lives. Though the pandemic has thrown normal life out of gear, the resilience of our governance systems ensured a quick and on-going recovery, with a fast vaccination drive.”
“It is my great privilege to represent the ambition of cities from the Indian sub-continent to ensure climate-resilient, just and equitable development. While we are not historic polluters, we are shouldering the burden of addressing climate change alongside global cities,” she added.
