ICLEI South Asia’s Technical Support to Ahmedabad Recognised at the Urban Development Year 2025
ICLEI South Asia’s technical contributions to various climate-resilient urban development initiatives in Ahmedabad were recognised during the Urban Development Year 2025 Celebration event hosted by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) on 19 July 2025, to showcase the city’s key transformational and pioneering urban initiatives.
Ahmedabad Leads the Way with India’s First Dedicated Climate Budget
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), with support from ICLEI South Asia and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has introduced India’s first dedicated climate chapter in its municipal budget. The budget aligns with India’s net zero emissions goal and strengthens Ahmedabad’s resilience against climate change.
Floating Solar Power in Coimbatore Boosts Clean Energy Ambitions
A delegation from the Embassy of Switzerland in India and Bhutan visited the newly completed Floating Solar Power Plant on Periyakulam Lake in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, on 25 November 2025. The visit highlighted Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation’s (CCMC) commitment to driving innovative clean energy solutions and strengthening local climate action.
National Level Workshop on Multi-Level Action for Climate Resilient Cities
The workshop was inaugurated by Mr. Emani Kumar, Executive Director, ICLEI South Asia with opening remarks from Mr. Hans Peter Egler, Senior Director of Public Affairs and Head of the Cities Practice, South Pole, Ms. Ridhima Sud, Sr. Thematic Advisor for Climate Change, (SDC) and Smt. Naynaben Pedhadiya, Hon. Mayor, Rajkot Municipal Corporation. The speakers highlighted the need to close the climate finance gap and support cities in developing bankable projects that integrate climate action into municipal delivery and socio-economic development.
High-profile National Workshop Puts Focus on Best Practices in Climate-resilient Development
The Department of Environment, Climate Change & Forests and the Department of Municipal Administration and Water Supply of Tamil Nadu state jointly hosted the 1st National Level Best Practice Workshop organised by the CapaCITIES project with support from the Swiss Agency for Development & Cooperation and in partnership with C40 Cities as well as World Resources Institute on the 29th and 30th of April 2022 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. ICLEI South Asia is one of the implementing partners in the project along with the South Pole and concept with the National Institute of Urban Affairs as the knowledge partner.
Making a Difference: How a Biomethanation Plant Run by Women Empowers Them
The members of a women’s self-help group were felicitated recently for their commendable work in managing and operating a two-ton per day (TPD) biomethanation plant in Udaipur for the last two years. At a ceremony organised by news channel News 91 and supported by Mohan Lal Sukhadiya University, Udaipur, the leader of the SHG group Ms. Nazra Sultana received an award on behalf of her group’s members.
Urban95, CapaCITIES Initiatives Get Special Mention at a District-Level Event “Samvad” Held in Udaipur
ICLEI South Asia’s Urban95 and CapaCITIES projects were praised for their exemplary initiatives towards making Udaipur city child-friendly and climate-resilient, during a three-day event organised by the District Collectorate and media group Rajasthan Patrika from 23-25 April 2022.
Biodiversity Action Plan for Udaipur: Stakeholders Discuss Importance of Ecosystem Services
ICLEI South Asia is developing the Local Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (LBSAP) for Udaipur under the CapaCITIES-II project, which is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Corporation. The LBSAP is a guiding strategy with specific actions suggested for achieving “optimal and realistic governance and management of biodiversity and ecosystem services,” and its development by urban local bodies is mandatory as per the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
Vadodara Strengthens Climate Leadership with Launch of CapaCITIES Phase III
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Phase III of the “Capacity Building Project on Low Carbon and Climate Resilient City Development in India (CapaCITIES)” project, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), was exchanged between the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) and ICLEI South Asia on 13 September 2025 in Vadodara. ICLEI South Asia is one of the implementing partners under CapaCITIES project, providing on-ground technical support to the city.
Climate Actions: CapaCITIES Workshop Calls for Prioritising Sectors, Leveraging Carbon Markets
Mr Kiritkumar Parmar, Hon’ble Mayor of Ahmedabad, and Mr. Praveen Chaudhary, IAS, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), inaugurated a workshop on climate action planning and climate finance on 25 August 2023. Thirty-five officials and representatives from different cities of Gujarat, the Gujarat Urban Development Mission and the Gujarat Urban Development Company attended the workshop, organised in Ahmedabad by ICLEI South Asia and South Pole under the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) funded CapaCITIES project.
CapaCITIES: Udaipur Marks World Environment Day with 'Climate Week’
In a remarkable showcase of environmental commitment, the Udaipur Municipal Corporation (UMC) organised ‘Climate Week’, to mark World Environment Day (WED) as well as Mission LiFE, an India-led global mass movement to nudge individual and community action for environmental conservation.
CapaCITIES: Rajkot Promotes Electric Autorickshaws under Green Mobility Programme
The demand for transportation in Rajkot has increased significantly as a result of expansion of infrastructure and population growth. As public bus services often fall short in meeting this demand, commuters tend to rely on alternative modes like autorickshaws for first and last-mile connectivity, to bridge the gaps in the existing public transport services.
CapaCITIES II: Workshop Primes Urban Local Bodies on Preparing Climate Action Plans
ICLEI South Asia, in collaboration with South Pole and econcept AG, conducted a training workshop for engineers from 18 urban local bodies (ULB) and the Commissionerate of Municipal Administration, Tamil Nadu, on the 5th of April 2023.
SDC Ambassador Visits CapaCITIES Projects in Coimbatore, Discusses Cooperation with Officials, Stakeholders
Ambassador Christian Frutiger, Assistant Director General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), visited Coimbatore city in Tamil Nadu on the 1st and 2nd of February 2023, to meet the city officials for an exchange on how Indian cities mainstream climate planning and to understand developmental activities undertaken by the city. City officials and the delegation deliberated on opportunities for scaling climate action, the support extended by the Tamil Nadu government to inclusive climate action in cities through the “Nammaku Naame Thittam” programme, challenges of Indian cities in accessing new leading edge technologies and the ambition of Coimbatore city to accelerate climate action.
CapaCITIES Session at World Urban Forum Brings Project Impact, Rajkot’s Climate Actions into Focus
A session on “Transforming Our Cities for a Climate Resilient Future” was organised by the National Institute for Urban Affairs and the CapaCITIES project at the 11th edition of the World Urban Forum (WUF11) in Katowice, Poland, on June 30, 2022.
Institutionalising Climate Action: Coimbatore Launches Climate Budget 2026–27
Coimbatore formally introduced its Climate Budget (2026–27) on 17 February 2026, becoming the second city in Tamil Nadu, after Chennai, to take this significant step. Through this budget, Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation has incorporated a dedicated chapter on climate-related allocations within its annual municipal budget, marking a critical milestone in institutionalising climate-responsive governance at the city level.
Ahmedabad's Strategy for Net Zero by 2070: Unveiling the Climate Resilient City Action PlanThe CapaCITIES Project Enters into a Memorandum of Understanding with the State of Gujarat
On February 18th, the Divya Bhaskar Gujarati Magazine, part of the Dainik Bhaskar Group, published an in-depth feature in its Rasrang section, focusing on Ahmedabad's ambitious roadmap to achieve Net Zero emissions by the year 2070. The article provides a comprehensive overview of the Climate Resilient City Action Plan (CRCAP), spearheaded by Mr. M. Thennarasan IAS, the Municipal Commissioner. It outlines the city's strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions across various sectors, detailing the projected timelines and the specific actions Ahmedabad intends to implement to transform into a climate-resilient urban landscape.
The CapaCITIES Project Enters into a Memorandum of Understanding with the State of Gujarat
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Embassy of Switzerland to India and Bhutan, is supporting the implementation of the second phase of the CapaCITIES project in the states of Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Rajasthan in the cities of Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Tiruchirappalli, Siliguri, and Udaipur.
CapaCITIES Webinar Emphasizes Participatory Governance for Building Climate Resilience
CapaCITIES Webinar Emphasizes Participatory Governance for Building Climate Resilience at Daring Cities 2020, a global, action-oriented virtual forum to empower urban leaders around the world to tackle the climate crisis, the CapaCITIES project convened a panel discussion on “Climate Resilient Cities Action Planning and Implementation Lessons”.
Learnings from CapaCITIES Project Discussed at 10th World Urban Forum
Ms. Sakshi Chadha Dasgupta, Senior Thematic Advisor, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Ms. Monalisa Sen from ICLEI South Asia participated in the ‘Building a culture of urban sustainability: from technology and innovation to arts and music, from Earth Day to Beethoven’s Pastoral’ session at the ongoing World Urban Forum in Abu Dhabi on the 12th of February 2020.
Roundtable Calls for Systems Approach to Promote Climate Action
The National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) organized and hosted a Roundtable Dialogue on Climate Resilient Cities in India, under the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation-supported CapaCITIES project, on the 28th of November in New Delhi, India.
Swiss Minister Witnesses Interventions on Waste and Water Management in Coimbatore
Vice President of the Federal Council and Minister for Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication, Switzerland, Ms. Simonetta Sommaruga visited Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, as part of her India visit to focus on areas concerning clean technology and the railways.
Gujarat CM releases Climate Resilient City Action Plan for Rajkot
The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Vijaybhai, Rupani, releases “Climate Resilient City Action Plan (CRCAP), Rajkot” on 2ndAugust 2019, prepared under the CapaCITIES project, supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).