News: During Mumbai Climate Week, the Maharashtra government announced that 30 Indian cities have joined the global Beat the Heat programme.
About Beat the Heat
- It is an initiative announced under COP30 Presidency (Brazil).
- Led by: United Nations Environment Programme (Cool Coalition)
- Aim: To translate global climate commitments into practical local actions to reduce extreme heat risks.
- Features:
- The programme helps cities assess heat risks and identify areas that need cooling solutions.
- It promotes increasing green cover, using cool roofs, and adopting eco-friendly urban planning practices.
- It supports the use of efficient and low-emission cooling technologies through public procurement policies.
- It encourages long-term planning for heat resilience instead of only emergency responses.
- It supports the Global Cooling Pledge, under which 72 countries are working to reduce cooling-related emissions by over 60% by 2050 while expanding access to sustainable cooling.
- India’s Participation: India has 44 cities participating in this international initiative, of which Maharashtra accounts for a major share—nearly 70% of the total Indian cities involved.
