The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry and British Deputy High Commission, Kolkata jointly organized a Dialogue on “Climate Smart City” and a Green Adda on “Climate Smart Kolkata” from 11.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. on 10th February 2016 at The Park, Kolkata as part of the GREAT Britain in Kolkata Week.

The Dialogue on Climate Smart City focused on discussion on city level solutions in the form of policies or in the form of implementation of innovative projects, to address opportunities and challenges arising out of climate change. Kolkata with a population of more than 16 million is a vital centre of economic growth in key emerging markets in Eastern India. But at the same time, it has also been identified as a city which is extremely vulnerable to climate change, since it is exposed to sea level rise, flooding, heat waves, water shortages and climate-induced disasters such as increasingly severe and frequent storms and cyclones. Also the speed of urbanisation is fast emerging as an enhancer of the risks. Many reports over the years have stated that impacts of climate change could have far reaching consequences, not only for the people living in this city, but on business, national economy, trade and investment flowing into the State.

The panellists included Dr. Kalyan Rudra, Chairman, West Bengal Pollution Board; Mr. Simon Petrie, First Secretary - Low Carbon Growth, Energy, Climate and Growth Unit, British High Commission-DFID, India; Ar. Shakuntala Ghosh, Principal Architect and Partner, Ghosh Bose & Associates and Mr. Sanjib Bezbaroa, Vice President - Corporate EHS, ITC Limited. The Dialogue was moderated by Mr. Deb A Mukherjee, Chairperson, Energy and Environment Committee, The Bengal Chamber.

The Dialogue was followed by the Green Adda on “Climate Smart Kolkata” which was an attempt to bring together eminent personalities and thought leaders from different walks of life to present views on how Kolkata can be one of the greenest, cleanest and climate smart cities of the world.

The Adda was joined by Mr. Barun Chanda, Actor and Author; Prof. Amita Dutt, Uday Shankar Chair Professor of Dance and Director, Performing Arts Therapy Centre, Faculty of Fine Arts, Rabindra Bharati University; Smt. Sharbari Datta, Fashion Designer and Mr. Joydeep Karmakar, Olympian Shooter. Mr. Scott Furssedonn-Wood, British Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata moderated the Adda.

Shri Debasish Kumar, Member of Mayor-in-Council, Kolkata Municipal Corporation graced the occasion.

At the event, there was a curtain raiser of the proposed Kolkata Climate Change Cell being established at Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) which will be India’s first ever integrated and dedicated climate cell at a municipality with a dedicated web-portal and mobile app for citizens. The Climate Change Cell is part of the two-year UK-KMC Programme valued at £ 1 Million. The programme has helped design a Roadmap towards a low carbon and climate resilient Kolkata.

The launch of a mobile app also took place in the programme on 10th February. The mobile app is a first-of-its-kind in the country and is intended to give information on various eco-friendly measures and alerts during disasters as part of preparedness planning. The app also consists of rooftop solar feasibility calculator, which is a one-of-its-kind initiative in India. This Climate Change Cell initiative is expected to help citizens take steps at the individual and collective level.