Biocon Foundation, the CSR arm of Biocon Group recently organized a workshop on Cities and Climate Action in association with Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (Shakti) at Biocon Campus in Bengaluru. The workshop aimed to foster discussions on strategies and techniques to establish collaboration among NGOs, corporates, and philanthropies. The goal is to collectively address the challenges posed by climate change to the urban centres which are pivotal to the nation’s economic growth.
The event saw participation from esteemed organizations such as Rainmatter Foundation, Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), Wipro, HSBC, Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL), World Resources Institute (WRI) India, Janaagraha, Jana Urban Space Foundation, Urban Movement Innovation Fund, LTI Mindtree, and ATE Chandra Foundation, to name a few.
A critical focus area of the workshop was the role corporates and philanthropies can play to support cities to plan their climate action roadmap. It also discussed the groundwork for establishing a framework that will enable philanthropies to collaborate and scale actions with stakeholders at the city, state, and national levels to:
– Building leadership and unlocking institutional mandates for climate action in cities.
– Constructing and executing ambitious sectoral climate policy, strategy, and action plans.
Dr. Anupama Narayan Shetty, Mission Director of Biocon Foundation, stated, “We are delighted to organize the workshop on ‘Cities and Climate Change’ with Shakti and provide a platform for insightful brainstorming sessions that help enable the ecosystem comprising of corporates, philanthropies, and CSR organizations to come together and identify a framework that once implemented can help avert the climate crisis. Cities are both the epicenter of environmental concerns and the focal point for potential transformation. The way we live and work in communities and cities can have a huge impact on climate change. Biocon Foundation has been committed to making our cities greener and more resilient to climate change. We believe that managing the climate change crisis is of utmost importance. While most organizations are working in that area, we should explore options with evolving technologies.”
Together, philanthropic leaders and urban experts recognized the importance of coordinating efforts to support cities plan their climate action roadmap. In the course of the fruitful discussion, a number of valuable ideas have been compiled, which will be evaluated by Biocon Foundation and Shakti. A second convening is proposed in September 2023 to establish a framework that will enable philanthropies to collaborate towards a unified approach to support urban development and growth.
Speaking about the significance of the workshop, Ms. Maninder Kapoor Puri, Head – Human Resources, Biocon Limited stated “Over the last few years Biocon has created an impressive portfolio of initiatives to address issues related to communities and the environment as well. With increasing urbanization, communities are best served by addressing urban issues. While urbanization brings opportunities for people to thrive and grow, it is imperative to work in a way that maintains an ecological balance.”
Highlighting the importance of the workshop, Mr. Manu Maudgal, Head, Corporate and Philanthropic Engagement, Shakti, said “Cities are the growth engines of India’s economy. Nurturing low-carbon growth pathways in cities can support economic growth, raise community and climate goals. Shakti offers collective philanthropic partnership models to effectively accelerate such growth pathways.”
Mr. Shubhashis Dey, Director, Climate Policy and Climate Finance, Shakti, emphasized, “Understanding and incorporating climate risk is now a necessity in urban communities and cities planning. This requires a commitment towards developing evidence-based case studies, that holistically address climate risk in a concerted manner for enhanced public good.”
Context of the Workshop
Indian cities are impacted by poor air quality and extreme weather events linked to climate change. The development pathways for Indian cities between 2020-2030 will determine the future of urban energy and emissions. Estimates suggest that the urban population will increase by 40% by 2030 and 51% by 2050[1]. As urban India is expanding rapidly, cities have an excellent opportunity to lock in a low-carbon and resilient development pathway. The need of the hour is to act swiftly as the window of opportunity is rapidly shrinking. Cities need to formulate and implement socially desirable, equitable, inclusive, and sustainable pathways towards a low-carbon economy which will have a decisive impact on India’s energy use, emissions, and environment.
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