A solutions landscape for Gujarat cities
A group of global businesses with operations in India have worked with the Government of Gujarat and the four largest cities in the state (Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat and Vadodara) to identify inclusive and sustainable solutions to key urban development challenges faced by these cities. The companies are part of a unique project (the Urban Infrastructure Initiative or UII) bringing multi-sector expertise to help cities achieve their sustainability visions. A group of seven companies together with WBCSD (Acciona, AECOM, AGC Group (Asahi India Glass), GDF Suez, Schneider Electric, Siemens, and UTC) active in energy efficiency, equipment, materials and logistics pooled their resources to identify practical solutions. The focus was on solutions related to urban planning, energy efficiency and wastewater management, which were the priority areas identified by the cities in Gujarat. The Gujarat study is the first time the UII has engaged with a region and a group of cities, rather than one individual city. The report outlines solutions which may be applicable to all cities in Gujarat and elsewhere in India, with specific references to their existing city visions and focus areas.