. Every year since 1974, nations, communities and individuals across the globe have come together on June 5 to celebrate and remember our duty towards the planet and our future generations by observing World Environment Day. This year, the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is being launched, building towards the goals of this decade.
While the pressures of development have grown, so has our ability to adapt our societies, economies and politics for a green and healthy future. The delicate balance between sustainable development and environmental protection is one of the core targets of the UN 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
The Smart Cities Mission has been the one taking charge of the technological advancements of our cities to improve governance, sustainability and disaster risk resilience. Smart solutions are being implemented to improve energy efficiency and non-motorised transport capacity in urban centres. The Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework has been adopted which aims to help cities adapt, collaborate and exchange best practices to achieve international standards for green, sustainable and resilient urban habitats. So far, the infrastructure for 417.5 km of smart roads, solar panels generating 30 MW of energy and 253.5 MLD of wastewater treatment capacity has been completed. The overall reduction in GHG emissions from projects implemented under SCM is expected to reach 4.93 million tonnes of CO2 by 2022.
