Linking the Sustainability and Urbanisation Agendas: Towards Green Cities

Cities are hubs of production, consumption, and waste generation. As cities grow, so does their environmental footprint. Evidence suggests that urban density plays the most important role in determining a city's environmental impact. Density enables the re-use and recycling of water and waste, and allows for the provision of better public transport infrastructure which has a direct positive impact on the environment through reduced emissions and fuel use. The scale of the impending urbanisation in India and inherent energy crisis mandates a fundamental and drastic change in the DNA of India's cities. Recognising that strategic interventions and innovative policy decisions are possible at the current stage of India's urbanisation trajectory, this session argues for the urgent need for the mainstreaming of environmental sustainability into the urbanisation agendas of Indian planners, developers and citizens.

Confirmed Speakers

• Deepak Gupta, Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Government of India
• Andrew Tindsley, Director, BDP
• Aromar Revi, Director, The Indian Institute for Human Settlements
• Keshav Varma, Urban Development Director-East Asia, World Bank
• Sean Randolph, President & CEO, Bay Area Council Economic Institute
• Suman Bery, Director General, NCAER