STATEMENT OF MS. ARTI MEHRA, MAYOR OF DELHI (INDIA) AT THE PLENARY SESSION 6 ON CLIMATE CHANGE – LEADING A PROGRAMME OF CHANGE FOR CITIZENS AT LGA 2ND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION 11TH - 13TH MARCH, 2008 IN LIVERPOOL

Respected Chairperson,

Distinguished Delegates,

On behalf of 15 million citizens of Delhi, which is one of the most ancient and progressive cities of the world, I extend a very warm greetings to all the delegates who have gathered in Liverpool from different parts of the world to take stock of progress and maintain the momentum for delivering vital, livable sustainable communities.

The present Plenary Session on Climate Change - Leading a Programme of Change for citizens highlights the key strand of sustainable communities.

The future of life on earth depends on our ability to take action. Many individuals are doing what they can but real success can only come if there is a change in our societies and our economies and politics. I have been lucky in my lifetime to see some of the greatest spectacles that the natural world has to offer. Surely we have a responsibility to leave for future generations a planet that is healthy & inhabitable by all species. If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracles of technology. We must have them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning not just after we got through with it.

We are alive by accident of fate at an absolutely critical moment in the history of our planet and only a collective action from all of us can somewhat stall the catastrophe which is already beginning to unfold.

India stands to lose most from climate change which is not surprising given our vast rural population overwhelmingly dependent on natural weather patterns that can easily be disrupted by
rising temperatures.

A central challenge of Indian urbanisation over the early 21st century, is that an almost equal number of people will live in about 0.6 million villages as in 12-15,000 towns and cities by 2050. By 2025, an estimated 70 Indian cities are expected to have a population size of over one million. In addition, three mega urban regions: Mumbai-Pune (50 million), the National Capital Region of Delhi (over 30 million) and Kolkata (20 million) will be among the largest urban concentrations in the world.

The Indian Government is seriously concerned about the impacts of climatic change especially the human & economic aspects. The Prime Minister of India has recently stressed that we need technology innovations for reduction of energy use by industry and other user sectors. We need massive action for afforestation, drought proofing and flood protection. We need to act to protect our coastal areas. We need action to protect the glaciers that feed our river systems. A whole gamut of development action needs to be planned and funded. Our 11th Five Year Plan, which has been launched this year, has articulated strategies in many of these areas for our nation. The Prime Minister of India's Council on Climate Change is now working on a National Plan of Action for Climate Change. It is expected that it would be ready by June this year.

Dr.R.K. Pachauri the Nobel Laureate of this year, as an individual as well as non-Governmental organization called TERI from India have already created the necessary environment for greater attention on climatic change. India is already on the forefront of the movement for developing sustainable communities.

Awaiting the National Plan, the state and local governments in India have already started working on strategies to reduce the factors contributing to climatic change. The evidence of significant changes surrounds us.

All across the world, in every kind of environment and region known to man, increasingly dangerous weather patterns and devastating storms are abruptly putting an end to the long running debate over whether or not climate change is real. Not only is it real, its effects are giving rise to a frighteningly new global phenomenon: the man-made natural disaster.

My own city i.e. Delhi is no exception to global climatic changes. We are also witnessing unusual weather patterns round the year. We are also striving hard to chalk out strategies to deal with the situation. In Delhi we have taken several initiatives covering different related sector on climate change mitigation either as smaller energy efficiency or clean development projects. In the present scenario, an area that needs immediate attention is that of public transport. We have taken several steps to promote sustainable transport. We have the world's largest bus fleet in public transport sector i.e. Delhi Transport Corporation run on clean fuel i.e. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). Delhi Metro Rail Corporation run on electricity and has in recent years reduced pollution by siphoning of nearly 2.5 million commuter–trips from the roads leading to improved environmental quality of life of about 15 million residents. With the achievement of the final planned capacity of the system, it is expected that it would have siphoned of 3.5 million passengers from roads to Delhi Metro Rail System. The Delhi Government is trying to develop an environment friendly public transport system as 1 of its focal point in reducing atmospheric pollution. In this set-up, Mono-Rail, Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) are being seen as efficient feeders to Delhi Metro and will primarily target at reducing pollution. The introduction of High Capacity Bus System (HCBS) will enhance capacity improve speed; reduce congestion, increase safety and comfort. The proposed mass transport would replace 10 million additional vehicular trips by the year2021.Effective use of cycling is also to be encouraged with cycling tracks planned along the HCBS routes. High quality unleaded petrol has been made mandatory for cars and bikes, leading to indirect control of pollution from these vehicles.

In Delhi, we have taken several steps to promote energy efficiency. Delhi Government's Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Management Centre aims at educating Delhi's residents to make optimum and efficient use of energy and promote renewable sources of energy. Delhiites are encouraged to procure the electrical appliances labeled by Bureau of Electric Energy (BEE). Higher the energy efficiency level of electrical appliances, higher is the star categorization by BEE. The use of renewable energy is being promoted, particularly for large buildings and townships, and in particular, for the new facilities being created for the 2010 Common Wealth Games in Delhi. A sustained campaign has been launched at the governmental level for encouraging Delhiites to adopt renewable resources of energy. There are so many examples to show case our commitment, such as:

Encouraging the use of energy efficient technologies for the electrical equipment. Replacement of conventional lighting with energy efficient lighting systems & the introduction of non-conventional energy usage for buildings above 500 sq m..25 % heat rate improvement in Delhi's thermal power plants & the Delhi Energy Efficiency programme implemented by the Government.

A unique scheme in Delhi provides power efficient lighting equipment to its consumers at subsidized cost, and on easy installment

A number of Buildings including four big hospitals, Municipal Corporation's civic centers of 28 floors, Commonwealth Games village and the new headquarter buildings of the Delhi's Power Transmission Company are being constructed along the green buildings concept.

Delhi also promoting the use of Light Emitting Diodes (LED) for reducing the city’s traffic signal power demands.

Under CDM, the Delhi Jal Board is working on two-stage plan of reducing 3.26 million tonnes of CO2 by 2008-12

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is working out strategies for creating environment friendly fuel and power from solid waste. Two projects are being set-up at Okhla and Timarpur. The Carbon Credit and Royalty by sale of Energy will be gainfully utilized for multifarious activities. The fuel would be absolutely clean and conducive to salubrious environment. A project at Okhla Sanitary Landfill site seeks to gainfully utilize Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to produce Refuse Derived Fuel and Power Project. It seeks to convert solid waste into energy, thereby converting solid waste into a useful form because by itself it leads to air, water and land pollution. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi will shortly embark upon major eco-friendly and ultra-modern solid waste treatment and disposal facilities.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has also started a project on upgradation of the existing compost plant for organic fruit and vegetable waste located at Tikri Khurd in Delhi .The Project will increase the waste handling capacity of the existing compost plant by introducing new equipment & machinery, thereby avoiding methane emission from additional quantity of municipal solid waste (MSW) processed by the plant.

Climate change is the greatest long-term threat faced by humanity it could cause more human and financial suffering than the 2 world wars & the great depression put together. All countries will be affected but the poorest & developing countries will be hit the hardest. We should also know that costs of inaction far outweigh the costs of action.

Climate change will affect the basic elements of life for people around the world - access to water, food production, health and the environment. Hundreds of millions of people could suffer hunger, water shortages & coastal flooding or the world warm. The moral imperative to make big changes is inescapable - that what we take for granted may not be here for our children.

What we need is to look at the issue of the climatic changes at the local level, at the state level, at the national level and at the international level. Each unit of the government has to shoulder responsibility of interventional action at its own level. We need to have mutual cooperation and working together at all levels of governance.

I would like to share with you that recently I represented local governments to address the High level event on Climate at UN Head quarters and I stressed on 3 important messages. Again today I got this opportunity to represent local authorities and I want to repeat them again:

First Message: Local Authorities are an important beacon of hope to the global community that action can be positive and empowering.

Second Message: Local Authorities can provide some important learning from our experiences that we can share with rest of the world and finally.

Third Message is very simple: While the important and necessary conversations, negotiations and debates continue within and between the nations, we urge you to directly invest in Local Authorities right now so that we can all benefit from reductions of present and future emissions and better management of the local environment.

City organizations will have to drive our ecological efficiency as a species. Put simply, cities offer the best chance we have of minimizing our ecological impact. But this means that the overriding ecological purpose must quickly become an implicit objective of urban govt.

The western model of growth which most of the developing countries are trying to emulate, is intrinsically toxic. It uses huge resources - energy & materials and generates enormous waste. It remains many steps behind the problems it creates. India & other developing nations have no choice but to reinvent the development trajectory.

I strongly believe in Indian approach to global problems like climate changes by the ancient Sanskrit saying "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (Meaning The Entire World Is One Family).

Treat the Earth as though we intend to stay here. It is not inherited from our parents; it is borrowed from our children.

I would like to conclude with a citation for the HOLY VEDAS

SARVA ASHA MIHRAM BHAVANTU

Live as if you are one with the trees, the rivers, the mountains and the whole Universe will embrace you like a friend

INDEED THE FUTURE OF THE COMING GENERATIONS IS IN OUR HANDS AND WE MUST ACT BEFORE ITS TOO LATE.

JAI HIND