Green Campus Conclave: A Vision For Sustainable Edu

Nagpur: To instill environmental values in students and foster a planet-conscious generation, the Climate Project Foundation (CPF) is taking significant strides. CPF will be organizing a Green Campus Conclave (GCC) on July 5 at 2.30 pm at the Neeri auditorium.
Powered by The Times of India and organized by the Global Shapers (GS) Nagpur Hub in association with The Climate Reality Project, the GCC will aim to promote long-term climate solutions through education, demonstrating the potential for traditional campuses to evolve into sustainable, eco-friendly environments.

Discussing climate change and sustainability, GS project lead Aman Singh emphasized that despite widespread discussion, these topics often go unnoticed at a primary level. “This project provides free infrastructure and practical solutions to schools, enabling them to conserve water and biodiversity, optimize energy efficiency, manage waste, and educate students about climate change and sustainability,” Singh said.
He further added, “The GCC prioritizes student well-being while promoting eco-friendly practices, empowering the next generation to build a sustainable future. By integrating climate education into the curriculum, the project aims to create a grassroots movement, fostering a culture of sustainability in educational institutions.”
Impact officer and project co-lead Apurva Akre highlighted the community-wide impact the project aims to achieve. Akre said, “Our goal is to empower students to adopt sustainable lifestyles, educating their families and inspiring a community-wide impact. We aim to guide Nagpur schools to join over 200 schools nationwide in obtaining the Green School Certificate, recognized by the Indian Green Building Council.”
Through IGBC audits and the Green Building Award, the project will support schools in their journey towards sustainability, creating a model for environmentally conscious education that can be replicated across the country.
Muskan Bali, outgoing curator, acknowledged the challenges faced in creating sustainable green campuses, including gaining educators’ confidence, addressing infrastructure and financial constraints, and overcoming the misconception that eco-friendly initiatives are expensive. “Our journey towards creating sustainable green campuses has been met with several challenges. The primary hurdle was instilling confidence in educators that transformation is feasible, addressing concerns about infrastructure limitations, manpower shortages, and financial constraints,” Bali stated.
She continued, “Limited access to resources and funding, integrating sustainability into existing curriculum and practices, and encouraging long-term commitment from schools and stakeholders were significant obstacles. Through persistent efforts, we successfully shifted mindsets, demonstrating that small steps can lead to significant positive change.”