The Hindu 12.11.2009
Mayor to attend Copenhagen meet
Priscilla Jebaraj
M. Subramanian
CHENNAI: Mayor M. Subramanian will be one of the two Mayors from India taking part in the World Mayors conference to be hosted by Copenhagen Mayor Ritt Bjerragaard as part of the U.N. Climate Change conference taking place in the Danish capital next month.
“I will be talking about some of the important things Chennai has done for a better environment, [such as] the plastic-free zone on the Marina and the public awareness programmes on climate change like the 88888 and 99999 Lights Out campaigns [led by Exnora International],” said Mr. Subramanian.
He will also be picking up ideas about climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts from other mayors. “It will be a learning experience,” he told The-Hindu, while coordinating flood relief efforts. The recent flooding of the streets may be a result of rain and poor drainage, but, if climate change increases extreme weather events and cyclonic activity on Indian Ocean coasts, as many scientists are predicting, lessons from other coastal cities could be helpful.
Mr. Subramanian will join Delhi Mayor Kanwar Sain as India’s representatives at the conference. Thirteen other Indian Mayors and Commissioners will take part in a side event on low carbon pathways for cities.
All 15 of them are being sponsored by the British government, and were selected after a survey of the energy consumption and carbon emissions of 53 South Asian cities, carried out by ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability.
“Chennai has a low per capita emission [figure]. It has a good story to tell,” said Mike Nithavrianakis, British Deputy High Commissioner, explaining why he invited Mr. Subramanian to travel to Copenhagen.
The study showed that Chennai had a per capita emission of 0.91 tonnes per year, below the national average of 1.2 tonnes. Activities in the city contributed about 3.82 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in 2007-08, according to the study. (Industrial zones just outside city limits, including the burgeoning automotive sector, were excluded from the study.)
The biggest chunk of Chennai’s emissions — about 38 per cent — comes from the transportation system. Electricity consumption, most of it from residential consumers, is another big emitter.
The study was not merely about diagnosing the problem; it also prescribed a solution. Regional low carbon action plans were formulated for the cities. Corporations were also asked for a list of steps they would take to reduce their carbon emissions. The Chennai Corporation decided on nine measures related to street lighting, energy efficiency and public awareness.
In a communication sent on June 18, it promised to replace 1,000 40-watt conventional tube lights with 28-watt T-5 fluorescent tube lamps. A fully timer-based operation and power saver system will also be installed, and performance-based contracts for maintenance issued.
