ICLEI South Asia participated in the Tamil Nadu Climate Summit 3.0, India’s first and largest-ever Climate Summit, from 4-5 February 2025 in Chennai. Hosted by the Department of Environment and Climate Change, Government of Tamil Nadu, the event brought together government officials, industry leaders, environmental experts, educators, NGOs, research organisations, and startups to discuss and address climate change challenges and pave the way towards a net-zero Tamil Nadu.

ICLEI South Asia showcased its ongoing climate mitigation and adaptation projects in South Asian cities through an interactive and informative exhibition booth. The exhibition booth presented several city-led initiatives in sectors such as sustainable transport, lake restoration, renewable energy, biodiversity conservation, inclusive and gender-responsive climate planning, waste management, and air quality management.

Taking centre stage, it prominently highlighted ambitious collaborative climate action of the Tamil Nadu government and its cities, focusing on three Climate Resilient City Action plans developed for Coimbatore, Tirunelveli and Tiruchirappalli as part of the Capacity Building for Low Carbon and Climate Resilient City Development (CapaCITIES) Project. Funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the project aims to strengthen the capacities of 8 Indian cities to identify, plan and implement measures for achieving lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and enhancing resilience to climate change in an integrated manner. The stall highlighted the various components of each plan, including a city-level GHG emissions inventory, ward-level climate risk and vulnerability assessments, net zero scenarios drawn up along with climate actions.

The exhibition booth attracted around 500 practitioners, including academia, NGOs, government departments, and industry experts. Engaging discussions took place on key topics such as industrial decarbonisation, climate resilience, people-led biodiversity conservation, heat mapping, and electric mobility. Several participants from research think tanks, NGOs, universities, and startups expressed keen interest in ongoing efforts by cities in ICLEI South Asia’s network in Tamil Nadu and explored opportunities to advance these efforts through a collaborative and multi-stakeholder approach.

The exhibition booth served as a dynamic dialogue and knowledge exchange platform, inspiring new partnerships and reinforcing ICLEI South Asia’s commitment to advancing climate-resilient and low-carbon development. By fostering collaboration across sectors, ICLEI South Asia will continue to play a crucial role in supporting Tamil Nadu’s climate and sustainability goals and accelerating its transition towards a net-zero future.