Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Tuesday, October 28, that India will host the inaugural edition of Mumbai Climate Week (MCW) in February 2026. The event is organised by Project Mumbai in partnership with Government of Maharashtra’s Department of Environment and Climate Change and supported by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Mumbai Climate Week aims to become a major platform for climate action across the Global South, with India taking a leadership role.
Speaking about MCW, Chief Minister Fadnavis said, " It’s high time we move from dialogue to action in the space of climate change. Mumbai Climate Week is a great initiative that not only celebrates climate mitigation efforts but also brings everyone — citizens, businesses, and institutions — into action. It will set benchmarks for Maharashtra and Mumbai, inspiring us to take concrete steps rather than remain spectators. We will reach out to the global community to make MCW a global event — truly where hope meets action."
The Chief Minister, joined by leading climate experts, shared details of the event. Representatives from more than 30 countries are expected to participate. They will come to Mumbai to create a practical climate action plan, working with city leaders, state chief ministers, civil society groups, corporates, students, and young people.
Mumbai Climate Week will be India’s first dedicated, citizen-led platform focused on speeding up climate action. Monitor Deloitte will be the strategic knowledge partner. Several major organizations have already joined as partners and supporters, including the Climate Group (hosts of New York Climate Week), India Climate Collaborative, WRI, Eversource, HT Parekh Foundation, UNICEF, ISEG, Shakti Foundation, Rainmatter Foundation, National Gallery of Modern Art and National Service scheme (NSS).
The inaugural edition of Mumbai Climate Week will focus on three connected themes: food systems, energy transition, and urban resilience. Each theme will be examined through the lenses of justice, innovation, and funding. This ensures that the MCW platform addresses both climate adaptation and mitigation strategies.
India Climate Collaborative will anchor the food systems discussions, ISEG Foundation, Shakti Foundation and Eversource will jointly guide the energy transition discussions, while HT Parekh Foundation and WRI India will co-lead the urban resilience sessions. These partner organisations will curate and showcase impactful climate solutions using their deep sectoral expertise.
Importantly, the platform will bring together not just policymakers and experts, but also give a voice to citizens and grassroots initiatives. Topics like mental health, art, spirituality, sports, and cinema will be included in the week's activities. A climate-focused food festival is also being planned as part of public engagement.
The event comes at a critical time for the developing countries, where climate disruptions, food and energy shortages, and ongoing conflicts have heightened vulnerabilities. Agriculture contributes between 10 to 20 percent of GDP in many developing countries—compared with about five percent in developed nations—and services accounting for less than half of GDP in the Global South, compared to 60 to 80 percent in the Global North. This means economies that depend heavily on climate-sensitive sectors face mounting risks. Fiscal constraints have further limited their ability to invest in long-term climate strategies. Against this backdrop, Mumbai Climate Week seeks to find solutions that balance development imperatives with urgent climate action, offering a shared platform for the Global South to deliberate, collaborate, and raise its collective voice.
In the lead-up to the event in February, various preparatory activities will help identify and improve solutions for showcasing. These include cross-stakeholder working groups, innovation mapping exercises, calls for applications, workshops, roundtables, and conferences. The February event will use a unique hub-and-spoke format, with the main event scheduled for February 17 to 19 at the Jio World Convention Centre. The central hub will host leadership dialogues, panels, and strategy sessions. At the same time, a vibrant network of peripheral events—ranging from exhibitions and film screenings to art festivals, hackathons, and community workshops—will broaden the participation across Mumbai. This structure connects high-level policy discussions with grassroots voices, ensuring that solutions are globally relevant while grounded in local realities.
At its core, Mumbai Climate Week is committed to empowering climate-resilient communities and scaling solutions across the Global South. Its agenda is built on three pillars: justice, innovation, and funding. Justice ensures that solutions are affordable, inclusive, and relevant to vulnerable communities while supporting broader development goals. Innovation focuses on locally driven, scalable approaches tailored to community needs rather than global replicas. Funding emphasizes sustainable financial pathways beyond traditional loans and investments, using user charges, government budgets, and development funds to support affordable and high-impact projects.
By bringing together governments, businesses, startups, academia, civil society, indigenous communities, youth, and citizen groups, the event aims to foster an ecosystem of shared purpose. Through diverse expertise and real-world experience, Mumbai Climate Week will help shape a just, sustainable, and resilient future for the Global South while amplifying its voice on the global stage.
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