Maharashtra Minister of Tourism and Environment Aaditya Thackeray delivers stirring call to action

MUMBAI, MAY 12, 2022 (GPN): Mumbai First, a public policy think tank and non-profit organisation, on Thursday kicked off the second edition of its climate conclave with a prolific line-up of speakers and dignitaries including Maharashtra Tourism and Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray.

The two-day conclave, convened under the banner ‘Climate Crisis 2.0: Mobilizing Finance for Coastal Cities’ is examining the criticality of mobilising climate finance to help coastal cities like Mumbai weather the climate crisis.

Mr. Thackeray, a committed environmentalist and conservationist, was the guest of honour and delivered a stirring speech, underlining the need to act with urgency to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Among the proposals he put forward was setting up a single planning agency for Mumbai to cut through red tape. He also mooted investing mayors with a wider range of powers for effective implementation of city-based plans.  

Other dignitaries who spoke on the opening day of the conclave included the European Union’s Ambassador to India Mr. Ugo Astuto, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) India head Dr. Atul Bagai, MMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner Mr. S.V.R. Srinivas, Maharashtra Government Principal Environment Secretary Ms. Manisha Mhaiskar and the Consuls-General of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, Singapore and Japan.

The conclave, organised with the support of the Government of Maharashtra, the European Union, the Consulate of the Netherlands and McKinsey intends to have a purposeful discussion on how climate finance mobilization is crucial to helping Mumbai and the MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan Region) develop resilience to climate change.

It further aims to provide a platform for building partnerships of state and municipal governments with the private sector to explore green investment opportunities to mitigate and adapt to the risks of climate change.

Supported by:

Tata Sons Pvt Ltd, JSW Foundation, Concast India, Blue Dart, Godrej, Kotak Asset Management Company, All Cargo Logistics, Hindustan Unilever Ltd, Mahindra Holidays, HSBC, MMR Environment Improvement Society (MMRDA), ICCSA

About Mumbai First:

Mumbai First, formerly Bombay First, acts as a powerful think tank to influence policy-making in positive ways and is committed to the re-generation of Mumbai’s economic and social infrastructure, in order to make it a globally competitive and a truly World Class City. Mumbai First plays the role of a critical catalyst and an able partner to the Government, private sector and civil society at large.

Key projects like Mumbai Metro, the Trans-harbor Link which are set to transform MMR were conceptualized and advocated by Mumbai First. Over the years, we have also conducted key conferences like the BRICS Conference (2016), Metamorphosis (2009), Security and Resilience Conference (2009), Climate Crisis: Action for Tropical Coastal Cities (2020), and more. The initiatives of Mumbai First also had the support of the Prime Minister’s Office, World Bank, and the European Union, amongst others. With McKinsey as the knowledge partners, Mumbai First initiated a study for the corporates such as The Tatas, Mahindras, Godrej, Reliance, amongst others. The report led to a very close public-private partnership with the State Government and formed the basis of the “Vision Mumbai” document prepared for the Government of Maharashtra and several infrastructure projects that are now being implemented are part of this report.Ends