ICLEI South Asia Advances Youth and Climate Leadership at NOSPlan DRISHTI 2026
ICLEI South Asia served as the Knowledge Partner for the 27th Annual NOSPlan Convention – DRISHTI 2026 held at Parul University, Vadodara, Gujarat, from 19-21 January 2026. The engagement forms part of ICLEI South Asia’s expanding youth and climate leadership programme, which aims to empower young planners to contribute meaningfully to climate action in the region.
NOSPlan is a national-level student organisation committed to nurturing the planning fraternity by empowering students to become responsible, competent, and visionary planning professionals of the future. The convention brought together planning students from across India to engage with ideas shaping the future of sustainable and climate-resilient planning.
At the inaugural ceremony, Ms. Shinjini Saha, Knowledge Management Expert, ICLEI South Asia, presented the organisation’s ongoing work on advancing climate action across India, underscoring the organisation’s commitment to strengthening youth leadership in climate-resilient urban development.
As part of the knowledge-sharing sessions, Mr. Devas Pathak, Senior Project Officer, ICLEI South Asia, led an engaging interactive session on Climate Action Planning in India. Using Vadodara city as a case study, he explained the process of developing a Net-Zero Climate-Resilient City Action Plan, covering urban systems gap analysis, climate risk and vulnerability assessments, Global Protocol for Community (GPC)-compliant Greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions inventories, and climate resilience strategies and targets. The session engaged more than 50 students and faculty members from various universities, helping bridge theory with real-world climate planning. It also educated students on institutionalising climate actions within regular planning processes by establishing net-zero cells and by preparing and implementing climate budgets.
ICLEI South Asia also organised a moderated panel discussion on Climate Action Planning in India under the CapaCITIES Project, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by a consortium comprising South Pole, ICLEI South Asia, and Econcept. The panel featured Professor Chetan Vaidya, Independent Urban Advisor and former Director of SPA Delhi and NIUA, along with Devas Pathak. The discussion examined pathways to bridge the gap between academic learning and on-ground planning practice, highlighting the essential role of youth in shaping future-ready climate action.
In support of youth innovation, ICLEI South Asia sponsored the Tech-in-City competition prize and served as part of the jury where Sandeep Khasnavis, Senior Project Officer, joined the evaluation panel. The convention concluded with remarks from ICLEI South Asia Board Member Ms. Hansa Patel, who encouraged students to continue contributing to sustainable and climate-resilient urban development.
