Thoothukudi Corporation in partnership with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and consortium partners IIT-Madras, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP-India) and Cenex (Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technologies) had organised a roundtable discussion on climate-integrated mobility planning in Thoothukudi, under the UK PACT project.
The event was conducted as part of the PACT-Digi-PULSE initiative, ‘Advancing Carbon Neutral Transitions using Digital Twin-based Planning for Urban Living and Sustainable Environment.”
During the programme, S. Priyanka, Thoothukudi Corporation Commissioner, highlighted the need to align urban transport planning with climate objectives, financing opportunities and interdepartmental partnerships to create a cleaner, more inclusive and climate resilient transport system.
Noting that Thoothukudi was a rapidly growing industrial hub, she said priority would be given on Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) infrastructure for improved first and last mile connectivity, retrofitting of bus shelters and climate tagging in municipal budgets.
Thoothukudi Corporation Mayor Jegan Priyasamy reaffirmed the city’s commitment to advancing sustainable mobility and integrating climate considerations into urban development planning.
Sharif Qamar, senior fellow and associate director of TERI underscored the importance of leveraging evidence-based assessments to inform policies, investments and institutional actions that strengthen urban resilience and support sustainable city development.
The event also featured the launch of baseline assessment studies and policy briefs developed under the project: Gap assessment and stakeholder consultation report, Thoothukudi’s road transport baseline GHG emission inventory, Integrated climate-responsive urban mobility planning strategy and Policy brief on healthy streets in Thoothukudi.
The discussions were held in two technical sessions titled, ‘Data-driven assessment of pedestrian accessibility, public transit performance and freight logistics,’ and ‘Climate financing and implementation pathways for climate-responsive mobility.’
Nearly 60 representatives from various organisations and departments including, Thoothukudi Corporation, V. O. Chidambaranar Port Authority, Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation and others were present.
Published - October 16, 2026 07:59 pm IST