CM Devendra Fadnavis inaugurates Mumbai Climate Week at Jio World Convention Centre

Maharashtra CM Fadnavis while speaking at Mumbai Climate Week. (Pic/Screengrab form YouTube)

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated Mumbai Climate Week at the Jio World Convention Centre on February 17. This marked the beginning of a series of discussions and initiatives focused on sustainability and climate action.

Fadnavis, while addressing the climate week, said, "By 2030 Maharashtra will approach 84 gigawatts of installed energy capacity, with more than 51 per cent coming from green and clean sources."

He added, "At present, Maharashtra has 48 gigawatts of installed capacity, with 21 per cent of it being from renewable energy," Fadnavis said, contributing to India's capacity of 260 gigawatts of renewable energy.

Fadnavis was speaking at the inauguration function of the Mumbai Climate Week on Tuesday, flagging off the three-day event from February 17 to 19.

The event is aimed at providing a platform for dialogue on climate action related to Mumbai, India, and the Global South.

While the main event called Central Hub is being held at the Jio World Cultural Centre in BKC in Mumbai, several other events are also being held across the city throughout the week starting Sunday.

Mumbai Climate Week is organised by Project Mumbai, in partnership with the Government of Maharashtra and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Fadnavis says, ‘There is no better place than Mumbai to host this summit'

Fadnavis, while hailing Mumbai as the host for the event, said, "There is no better city to host this conversation than Mumbai, a city that has remained resilient through its history. When Mumbai experiences extreme rainfall, it is not a mere statistic. It interrupts businesses and livelihoods and brings the city to a halt."

He added, "This heatwave is not just a graph but a real hardship for construction workers, street vendors, and farmers."

"Climate change for a mega coastal city and financial hub, like Mumbai, is a governance challenge. This is why Mumbai Climate Week is necessary," Fadanavis said.

Outlining Maharashtra's plan of action, Fadnavis pointed out that as global capital is moving towards a sustainable market, states that move early will attract capital, talent, and innovation, and Maharashtra aims to be at the forefront of this.

"Work has already started. We are expanding renewable energy adoption across industrial corridors. We are accelerating electric mobility in our cities. We are investing in resilient infrastructure, including flood mitigation systems and climate-smart urban planning," CM added.

Also present at the flag-off ceremony were Pankaja Munde, Maharashtra Minister for Environment and Climate Change, and Martin Krause, Director, Climate Change Division, UNEP.

The flag-off ceremony included a video address from the Prince of Wales, Prince William, founder and director of the Earthshot Prize, a global environmental initiative founded in 2020 to fund and scale innovative solutions to urgent climate challenges.