UK companies offer expertise to make Kolkata low-carbon city

With the aim to make Kolkata a low-carbon city, UK companies specialising in urban design and planning met West Bengal government and Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) officials for collaboration in the sector.
"I am confident that the UK-KMC work will enable Kolkata to embark on a path towards a greener economy. It is an example of what 'Greening the Economy' looks like in practice - creating business opportunities in low-carbon growth, reducing carbon emissions, building skills and capacity and making cities more climate resilient," British High Commissioner Sir Dominic Asquith said at an event here.
The UK government is working with Kolkata on a one million pound technical assistance programme to make the city a low carbon economy and climate resilient.

A UK-KMC roadmap, which will be implemented in the coming months, was launched here earlier this year.
Officials of ten UK companies specialising in waste, energy and water management, smart parking, street lighting and renewable energy visited the city today and presented their expertise.
"We stand ready to support KMC to unlock the potential to save carbon emissions, create green jobs and attract investment demonstrated by the strong presence of British businesses today. I look forward to watching the roadmap's implementation, and continued partnership between our two countries," Asquith said.
He said sustainable urbanisation, energy and climate are all key elements of UK's wider bilateral relationship with India including in urbanisation and stable energy supplies which are hugely important for economic growth and development.

"Cities are the primary engines of growth, innovation, employment and wealth creation. But they are also huge polluters and consumers of energy. We need to get better and smarter to reduce our consumption and improve our management of energy and other resources," he said.