COP30 in Belém marked a quiet but important shift in global climate governance. For the first time, the formal agenda placed local and regional governments at the centre of implementation, signalling that climate action must move from national negotiating rooms to the streets, drains, buses, and neighbourhoods where people actually live.
The logic is simple. Climate impacts are hitting cities hardest, and adaptation is by definition local. India illustrates this gap sharply. Its national climate targets are ambitious, but its urban systems remain unprepared for heat stress, flooding, pollution, and water scarcity. If cities do not lead, India will fall behind both on mitigation and on protecting lives.
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Why COP30 put cities at the centre
Belém’s “local climate action track” was not a symbolic gesture. It reflected a recognition, outlined in the UNFCCC COP30 briefs, that the climate crisis has outgrown national-only frameworks. Cities account for nearly 70% of global CO₂ emissions, according to UN-Habitat. They also host the world’s most climate-vulnerable communities — informal workers, low-income households, and people living in dense settlements with limited services.
COP30 also saw strong indigenous participation and protests outside the venue. These voices hifhlighted the need for climate planning that is inclusive and community-led, not driven only by ministries or consultants. The message was clear: climate leadership has to move closer to people, and the institutions best placed to act are municipal governments.
India’s urban risk map: a crisis already unfolding
India’s cities sit on the frontline of climate stress. The IMD recorded one of the worst heatwave seasons in recent years, with several cities crossing 48°C. The IPCC notes that South Asian heatwaves will become more frequent and intense even under moderate emission scenarios. Heat is now a silent but significant risk to productivity and health.
Flooding presents an equally serious risk. Chennai has been hit by major floods four times in a decade. Bengaluru saw its tech corridor submerged in 2022. Mumbai’s extreme rainfall events are rising, according to WRI India. Much of this results from outdated drainage systems, unplanned construction, and wetlands being converted into real estate.
Air quality remains a chronic hazard. Delhi, Lucknow, and Patna regularly record PM2.5 levels several times above WHO limits, as shown by CSE and global trackers like IQAir. Pollution is not just seasonal; it is structural.
Urban water stress is growing. An ADB study shows that many Tier-2 cities face rising shortages due to groundwater depletion and poor distribution networks. The NITI Aayog Composite Water Index warns that 21 Indian cities could run out of groundwater. This is not a future threat. It is a present crisis. And it is unfolding fastest in cities.
The governance gap: weak finances and outdated plans
Despite rising risks, India’s municipal governments remain underpowered. Municipal budgets account for less than 1% of GDP, according to the RBI’s municipal finance report. This is far below levels in comparable emerging economies. Cities depend on state transfers for most essential spending, leaving them with little flexibility to respond to climate shocks.
Climate action plans exist on paper but are outdated. Research by ORF and the ADB shows that fewer than 20% of Indian cities have updated climate action plans that align with adaptation and mitigation goals. Staffing is another gap. Many urban local bodies lack qualified environmental engineers, planners, and data analysts. Budgets are often tied up in routine services like garbage collection and water supply.
Large national schemes have helped create assets. The Smart Cities Mission and AMRUT funded roads, water pipelines, command centres, and parks. But they did not create durable governance systems for climate resilience. Without stronger institutions, these assets will not withstand the scale of future climate shocks.
What cities can do now
Cities still have substantial room to act — and quickly.
Transport reform: Expanding public and electric transport can cut emissions and improve air quality. Cities can pilot congestion pricing, low-emission zones, and bus electrification. Pune and Delhi offer early models, but scaling requires predictable funding.
Heat mitigation: Heat action plans must move beyond advisories. Cities need cool-roof codes, shade audits, and tree-cover mandates. Ahmedabad’s heat action plan remains the national benchmark, and its successes can be replicated elsewhere.
Drainage and flood resilience: Storm-water upgrades are unavoidable. Nature-based solutions such as restoring lakes and wetlands can reduce flooding at lower cost. Bengaluru and Hyderabad show how rapid wetland loss worsens urban floods.
Waste and methane reduction: Solid waste contributes significantly to methane emissions. Source segregation, biomethanation plants, and landfill capping can help meet national methane targets and improve public health.
Water security: Cities can build resilience through wastewater reuse, rainwater harvesting, leakage reduction, and aquifer recharge. Chennai’s large-scale reuse projects demonstrate that this is possible with political backing.
These actions are feasible and align with global best practices. What they need is empowered city governments.
Why national policy must empower cities
India’s climate transition will stall unless national policy gives cities the resources and authority to act. States must follow the 15th Finance Commission’s guidance and provide predictable, formula-based transfers. ULBs need untied funds for adaptation. Municipal bonds, combined with credit-enhancement facilities from multilateral banks, can finance climate-relevant infrastructure. Indore and Ahmedabad have already shown that this model works.
The Centre can tie funds to measurable targets on heat, air quality, water resilience, and transport. This would push cities to invest in systems, not short-term assets. Density must align with transit corridors. Wetlands and floodplains must be protected. Indian cities need zoning that maps climate risks explicitly.
Cities need dashboards for emissions monitoring, flood forecasting, waste flows, and heat alerts. Digital tools can improve planning and accountability. National ministries will still play a role, but they cannot deliver local resilience. Only empowered ULBs can do that.
COP30 makes one thing clear: the next decade of climate action will be judged not by national pledge documents, but by what happens on the ground in cities. India has the right goals, but its urban institutions are weak. If cities do not receive money, authority, and technical support, national targets will remain distant promises. Climate leadership must move closer to the people most affected. India can meet its goals — but only if its cities are equipped to lead from the front.