Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal seen at the launch of 12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in the Asia & the Pacific in Jaipur. Photo: X/@PIBodisha
India on Monday (March 3, 2025) launched the Cities Coalition for Circularity (C-3), a multi-nation alliance for city-to-city collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and private sector partnerships for sustainable urban development.
This forum would provide a critical platform for policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and development partners to discuss and implement sustainable solutions for waste management and resource efficiency as economies in the Asia-Pacific region.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a special written message to delegates at the launch, said India follows and strongly advocates the P (Pro-Planet People) approach and highlighted the role of 3Rs and circular economy principles in ensuring sustainable urban development and resource efficiency.
He highlighted the role of 3R (reduce, reuse and recycle) and circular economy principles in ensuring sustainable urban development and resource efficiency and has also mentioned that India has always been more than willing to share it experiences and learnings in its journey towards creating a circular economy.
“We propose that a working group of member nations be formed after this forum to finalise the coalition’s structure and operational framework,” he said.
A key Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for CITIIS 2.0 was also signed at the launch event in Jaipur, marking a significant milestone in urban sustainability initiatives.
Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal announced that agreements worth ₹1,800 crore will be signed under this initiative, benefiting 18 cities across 14 States, and serving as lighthouse projects for other urban areas.
The Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific was launched in 2009 to promote sustainable waste management, resource efficiency, and circular economy principles across the region. Recognising the environmental challenges posed by rapid economic growth, resource depletion, and rising waste generation, the forum has served as a key platform for policy dialogue and capacity building.
A major milestone was the adoption of the Hanoi 3R Declaration (2013-2023), which outlined 33 voluntary goals for shifting towards a more resource-efficient and circular economy.
Published – March 03, 2025 08:25 pm IST