Delhi has joined the UN-backed initiative to catalyse the race of resilience. a significant increase in the ambition for climate resilience on a global scale, with promises to achieve 25 per cent green cover in the next five years, among other goals.
Delhi has made a number of promises intended to improve climate resilience while promoting sustainable development as part of its participation in the race of resilience, which was unveiled during an event at Climate Week in New York City on Wednesday. Investments in decentralised renewable energy sources and the circular economy are two examples of how to increase access to clean and sustainable energy.
The Delhi government has also committed to developing green space and planting trees as part of the initiative, with the goal of reaching a 25 per cent green cover in the following five years. Delhi currently has a 23.06 per cent green cover, according to the India State of Forest report.
The government claimed that programmes like the Delhi City of Lakes project would revitalise bodies of water, enhance water quality, and lessen flooding. Due to its vast population and considerable concentration of lower-income people, Delhi is one of India's hottest cities and among the most vulnerable to heat waves.
Extreme heat is reducing local output, endangering vulnerable populations, and driving up energy consumption quickly.
Heat waves are becoming more intense and frequent due to climate change. Delhi's draft, action, plan on climate change says, the city is projected to suffer losses of Rs 2.7 lakh crore by 2050 due to the impacts of climate change with changes in precipitation and temperature patterns posing significant threats to the most vulnerable populations.
Through the New Delhi solar strategy, Delhi has also set its sights on becoming a regional and international leader in rooftop solar power. The main goal is to boost rooftop solar installations in order to cover ten per cent of Delhi's annual energy needs.
This transition is expected to generate 40,000 new green jobs in the industry. Delhi also introduced an EV policy in August 2020 with the goal of achieving a 25 per cent proportion of EVs in new car registrations by 2024 in order to improve air quality.