Sachnews Jammu Kashmir
Srinagar: A landmark gathering of climate champions, educators, and policy leaders took place on Saturday at the Green Campus Programme in Srinagar, celebrating a collective push toward transforming educational institutions into models of environmental sustainability.
Organized by The Climate Project Foundation in collaboration with Directorate of School Education(DSEK) and Wildlife Conservation Fund (WCF),the day-long event brought together over 200 participants from across Jammu and Kashmir, showcasing how schools and colleges are becoming climate-conscious, eco-active hubs.
Delivering the Keynote Address, Dr. G. N. Itoo, Director, School Education Department, Kashmir, emphasized the urgent need to institutionalize sustainability in the academic ecosystem. A committed education reformer, Dr. Itoo praised the Green Campus Programme for its grassroots impact and urged more institutions to align their vision with India’s National Education Policy (NEP 2020) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Environmental education must not remain theoretical. It has to reflect in the way we build, teach, consume, and grow. The GCP is making that transformation real,” Dr. Itoo noted during his address.
15 Green Campuses Awarded for Environmental Leadership.
A major highlight of the programme was the Felicitation and Green Campus Awards Ceremony, where 15 educational institutions from across Kashmir were recognized for their outstanding contributions to environmental stewardship. The awarded campuses demonstrated excellence in areas such as Rainwater harvesting, Waste segregation and composting, Renewable energy use (solar installations), Biodiversity enhancement, Student-led eco-club initiatives.
Each awarded institution received a Green Campus Citation, a plaque, and inclusion in the upcoming GCP Casebook 2025 to inspire others across the region.
Programme Highlights: A Day of Insights and Inspiration Inaugural Address by Adv. Nadeem Qadri, Advisor, GCP, Workshop by Rekha Lalla, Lead, GCP, Transformation Story by Firdous Ali, Principal, BHSS Soura, Syed Shabir Ahmad, Joint Director, DSEK, Vision Talk by Aditya Pundir, Director, India and South Asia, The Climate Project Foundation (TCPF) Annual Report 2024–25 unveiled by Dr. G. N. Itoo.
Vote of Thanks by Aadil Ahmad Bhat, Program Manager, TCPF–J&K
This event reflects the growing momentum behind climate education and action in Jammu & Kashmir, with institutions playing a vital role in creating a sustainable, resilient, and responsible future generation.
Speaking to Sachnews Jammu Kashmir, Aditya Pundir, Director of The Climate Project Foundation, India and South Asia, said that this event marked the launch of the Green Campus Programme. During the event, last year’s winners were felicitated, and 60 new schools were invited to participate in the initiative.
He explained that the programme focuses on parameters such as solar energy adoption, waste management, rainwater harvesting, biodiversity enhancement (including butterfly gardens), and air quality improvement within school campuses. Teachers and students work together to create green campuses, which are then audited to evaluate their efforts over a period of six months to a year.
“The audit examines how much electricity has been saved, the level of green campus enhancement, and other sustainability measures. Awards are then given based on these achievements,” Pundir said.
He emphasized that such events are organized to reduce carbon emissions contributing to climate change and to educate children from a young age about sustainable practices and climate action.
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