Mumbai: For three days next week, Mumbai will host India’s first large-scale, citizen-led climate movement. Beginning February 17, Mumbai Climate Week (MCW) will bring together heads of government, global and Indian business leaders, climate innovators, philanthropies, youth groups and community voices, with the aim of turning climate dialogue into action.
More than 100 institutions and 400 speakers are expected to participate. The line-up includes Bill Gates, Hillary Clinton, Rajiv Shah of the Rockefeller Foundation, Imad Fakhoury, regional director (South Asia) at the International Finance Corporation, World Bank Group, Amanda Leland, executive director of the Environmental Defense Fund, and Clarisa De Franco, senior advisor at Allied Climate Partners. Union ministers, industry leaders, Sachin Tendulkar, and cosmonauts Rakesh Sharma and Shubhanshu Shukla will also attend.
MCW is led by NGO Project Mumbai and supported by the Maharashtra government’s environment and climate change department, the MMRDA and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The event positions Mumbai as a living testbed for climate solutions that can be scaled across India and other Global South cities, the organisers said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Mumbai Climate Week showcases India’s resolve to lead with action on climate, from the city level to the global stage,” said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. “As Mumbai hosts leaders from across India and the world, we are sending a clear message that Maharashtra is ready to work with all partners to build cleaner, safer and more resilient futures for our citizens and for the Global South.”
The three-day central hub at the Jio World Convention Centre will host leadership dialogues, thematic tracks, the MCW Innovation Challenge, the Youth Green Innovation Challenge and a solutions exhibition. A special space-themed session on February 18 will feature Sharma and Shukla interacting with school students and global leaders to link space exploration, science and climate responsibility.
MCW will also offer free speaking opportunities, particularly for citizens. Those who register on the website (www.mumbaiclimateweek.com) for Varta Varan will receive a free speaking slot during the event.
“Mumbai has always been a city of grit and imagination, and Mumbai Climate Week is where that spirit meets the climate crisis at scale,” said Shishir Joshi, CEO and founder, Project Mumbai and MCW. “This is India’s first citizen-led climate movement at this level, where ministers, businesses and experts share the same space as students, frontline workers and neighbourhood volunteers, and where Mumbai can signal what climate leadership from the Global South really looks like.”