UN selects Noida to participate in Global Sustainable Cities 2025 initiative.

The twin-cities of Noida, Greater Noida have been selected in the 'University City' category ahead of Mumbai and Bengaluru, which were also under UN consideration.

The United Nations on Sunday selected Noida and Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh to participate in its Global Sustainable Cities 2025 initiative.

The twin-cities in Gautam Buddh Nagar district, adjoining the national capital, have been selected in the "University City" category as the only invitee from India, a senior UN official said.

Twenty-five cities from across the world have been selected in five categories by the UN Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) cities initiative, senior UN advisor and CEO, UN Global Sustainability Index Institute (UNGSII), Roland Schatz told reporters.

Schatz formally extended the invitation to Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate Brajesh Narain Singh in the presence of Shubhro Sen, the principal advisor, India, SDG Initiative.

The SDGs are a collection of 17 global social and economic goals set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, including poverty reduction, elimination of hunger, greater gender equality and social justice, and environment-friendly practices to promote peace and prosperity.

"This is a proud moment for Noida and Greater Noida to be selected for this exciting global showcase. Now I will forward this invitation to the Uttar Pradesh government, which is very positive about development works," Singh said.

In the "University City" category, Noida-Greater Noida will be competing with elite university cities such as Cambridge, Palo Alto and Heidelberg.

The Organisation for International Economic Relations and UNGSII, in cooperation with the UN Office for Project Services and the UN Office for Partnerships are uniting 25 leading cities and five indigenous communities from around the world to prove that full SDG implementation by 2025 is possible when people come together and focus their efforts and resources on creating a sustainable future.

The "Race to 2025" will start in July in New York City when the programme is officially launched. The platform is formatted as a friendly competition with multiple activities, initiatives supported by SDG experts and industry partners with the common goal of illustrating that SDG implementation results in prosperity and quality-of-life for area citizens and business, while having no negative impact on the environment and reducing city operating expenses.