On the occasion of World Environment Day 2021, TERI and Tata Steel jointly organized the closing ceremony of Phase III of the Green School Project to felicitate students, teachers, schools, and all stakeholders involved in this effort. They also signed an MoU for phase IV of the project which will focus on climate action, with a particular focus on SDGs. As in the past, the project will focus on developing an innovative teaching pedagogy.
The MoU was signed by Dr. Vibha Dhawan, DG, TERI, and Mr. Chanakya Chaudhary, VP, Corporate Services, Tata Steel, in a virtual event titled Navyata. Mr. D B Sundara Raman, VP, Raw Material, Tata Steel, Mr. Pankaj Kumar Staija, Chief Regulatory Affairs, Tata Steel, Mr. Sourav Roy, Chief, CSR, Tata Steel, and Ms. Neha, Fellow, Environmental Education and Awareness, TERI were present along with other dignitaries from TERI and Tata Steel.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Vibha Dhawan said: “Since the inception of the project, we worked upon making environmental education and sustainability not just a part of the pedagogy, but more importantly, integral to the values and lifestyles of the students and the community. We now have model schools to be our ambassadors, as we endeavor to reach schools in even more remote areas. In these difficult times, this is a ray of hope.”
“The Green School Project was conceived with the very idea to build a generation of environment-conscious warriors who would conserve and protect the biodiversity and treasures of nature. The continuous degradation of resources, the natural habitat of the millions of species has resulted in irreversible damage. It is up to us to not only just educate the young generation but also empower them with the right opportunities and tools to act upon the urgent need to restore the lost glory of our planet. Tata Steel realizes this responsibility and has committed to a mission to prepare the next generation of Green Fighters who will find innovative ways to recreate the balance to co-exist with nature.” said Mr. Chanakya Chaudhary, VP, Corporate Services, Tata Steel.
‘The Green School Project’ was formally launched in April 2017 to help the students across Tata Steel’s operational areas in Jharkhand and Odisha to improve their critical, interdisciplinary and holistic thinking. The focus of the project was to create awareness and enable school fraternity to comprehend their relationship with nature and make concerted efforts to conserve it through resource management initiatives at local levels. In the wake of the global pandemic which upended the education system, the project provided students with a plethora of opportunities to make environment-friendly products and undertake several conservation activities.
As a knowledge partner, TERI built the capacity of the teaching fraternity and helped them mentor students to practice environmental consciousness in their everyday lives. Going forward, Tata Steel Foundation will anchor this project, in collaboration with TERI.
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