A Critical Analysis of City Climate Action Plans in India: The Imperative for Inclusive Climate Governance, Finance, and Urban Climate Budgets

City climate action plans (CAPs) are becoming pivotal tools for urban strategies aimed at addressing the impacts of climate change in Indian cities. Cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, and Kolkata, among others, are actively formulating and implementing CAPs to confront rising temperatures, increasing natural disasters, and deteriorating air and water quality. These plans aim to strengthen urban resilience by combining mitigation and adaptation strategies to promote sustainable development and enhance the quality of life. However, while CAPs are gaining momentum and receiving financial support at the national and state levels, their implementation faces significant challenges.

This paper critically analyzes CAPs in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and other cities through case studies, focusing on budgeting practices and the formulation of climate budgets at the city level. It explores how these local budgets align with broader national and state frameworks for climate finance and the complexities of funding strategies in multi-level governance contexts. The study highlights issues related to financial constraints, governance structures, data management, and the challenges of public participation in these processes.

A key concern addressed in the paper is the exclusion of marginalized and informal communities—those most affected by the climate crisis—from CAP preparation and execution. This exclusion raises questions about the effectiveness and inclusiveness of urban climate governance. The analysis emphasizes how the tone, norms, and language employed in CAPs can perpetuate exclusionary urban planning practices, marginalizing vulnerable groups further. This paper contributes to ongoing discourse by presenting a framework for inclusive CAP design and implementation, with a focus on climate budgets that integrate marginalized voices. It argues that inclusive climate governance and financial strategies are essential to ensure that CAPs not only address urban environmental challenges but also promote social equity and resilience at multiple levels of governance.