Newsletter (July-August 2025)
Our newsletter provides updates on our programs, and fellow Climate Reality Leaders who are making a difference. It carries a gamut of activities carried out in two months' time, showing how each one of us can act to solve the crisis together. We would love to hear from you, your story and acts of leadership in the journey of sustainability. Every action matters!
CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION PROGRAMME
Principals’ Conclave in Kashmir charts roadmap for Sustainable Campuses
On 26th July 2025, The Climate Reality Project India & South Asia, in collaboration with the Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK), hosted the Principals’ Conclave on the Green Campus Program (GCP) at SP Higher Secondary School, Srinagar. The event brought together over 100 participants, including 60 heads of institutions from Srinagar, Budgam, and Pulwama, GCP coordinators, District Cultural Officers, and government officials. The conclave aimed to introduce the GCP framework, build ownership among school leaders, and foster collaboration for sustainability in education.
The program featured a keynote by the Director of School Education Kashmir, who emphasized the importance of integrating climate awareness into mainstream education. Breakout sessions explored the Green Campus audit framework, best practices, and opportunities for student and community engagement. More than 50 schools committed to forming Green Campus Committees, with many seeking teacher training and capacity-building support. The conclave concluded with a shared vision to make Kashmir’s schools models of green learning environments.
300+ schools to go green in Kashmir: MoU signed with Private Schools Association of Jammu & Kashmir (PSAJK)
On 28th July 2025, The Climate Project Foundation (TCPF) and the Private Schools Association of Jammu & Kashmir (PSAJK) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at The Nature School, Nigeen, Srinagar. The partnership aims to implement the Green Campus Program (GCP) across private schools in the region, promoting climate literacy, sustainability education, and student-led action. The event brought together over 35 stakeholders, including educators, scientists, civil society leaders, and government representatives.
The ceremony featured addresses by Mr. Aditya Pundir (Director, TCPF), Mr. G.N. Var (President, PSAJK), and other dignitaries who emphasized the urgency of local climate action. PSAJK pledged support to involve over 300 private schools in the program. The MoU marks a significant step in building long-term collaboration, empowering teachers, and fostering sustainability leadership among students in Jammu & Kashmir.
YOUTH ENGAGEMENT
Youth for COP 2025:
Launched and Already Making Waves
We are excited to share that Youth for COP 2025 was launched in July, kicking off an ambitious journey to empower over 1,500 young participants from 48+ countries. Since the launch, the program has already hosted an opening ceremony and four thematic sessions, covering topics such as the history of COP, climate finance and justice, just transition and green jobs, and adaptation and resilience. Each session engages around 250 youth, supported by guidebooks and assignments to reinforce their learning and deepen their understanding of global climate processes.
The program is designed to prepare youth to actively contribute to global climate conversations, ensuring voices from the Global South are heard. With strong collaborations across 23+ partner organizations spanning India, Africa, Indonesia, the Philippines, Latin America, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan, Youth for COP fosters a truly cross-regional exchange of ideas. Upcoming sessions will explore biodiversity, indigenous wisdom, and nationally determined contributions, along with practical skill-building workshops in advocacy, negotiation, and storytelling equipping young leaders to transform knowledge into meaningful climate action.
Youth for Earth award ceremony
at ICSE 2025
On Day 2 of the International Conference on Sustainability Education (ICSE) 2025, the much-awaited Youth for Earth Awards ceremony celebrated the innovation and dedication of young changemakers from across India. The awards were presented in two categories – Junior and Senior – recognizing school and college teams that had worked on impactful sustainability projects.
This year, a total of eight outstanding teams were acknowledged for their inspiring work, representing diverse states and regions of the country. Their projects not only showcased creativity and scientific inquiry but also demonstrated leadership and collaboration in driving real change at the grassroots level. The Youth for Earth Awards continue to serve as a platform to empower young minds, giving visibility to their solutions and motivating others to take action for a sustainable future.
Junior Category-
5th- Team- Neem Crusaders from Little Flowers Public Senior Secondary School, Shahdara, New Delhi
4th- Team- Green Striders from Adarsh Public School, Vikaspuri, New Delhi
3rd- Team- EcoTree 2.0 from Kikani Vidhya Mandir, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
2nd- Team- Badlaav from Bharat Mata English Medium Higher Secondary School, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh
1st- Team- Flexminds from Bal Bhavan Public School, Mayur Vihar, Phase 2, Delhi
Senior Category-
3rd- Project Samman from Anant National University, Ahemdabad
2nd- Project CDP Bricks from K. Ramakrishnan college of Technology, Trichy
1st-Project Ecocampus from Dr. Vishwanath Karad MIT World Peace University, Pune
CLIMATE CHANGE ENGAGEMENTS & ADVOCACY
Dialogue with FES on carbon
responsible events
On July 16th, The Climate Project Foundation (TCPF) was invited by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) to share insights on Carbon Responsible Events. Representing TCPF, Bhavesh Swami highlighted experiences from the Reality Tour 2025 and showcased how the Foundation integrates sustainability into event planning through venue selection, waste management, water conservation, and energy efficiency. He also shared key learnings from the global Net Zero Carbon Events initiative launched at COP28. TCPF’s contribution to the dialogue reflected its strong commitment to advancing both global and local climate goals. By aligning with Net Zero aspirations while grounding efforts in local relevance, youth engagement, and replicable models, we demonstrated how sustainable event practices can inspire broader action. The exchange also underscored the importance of collective learning and collaboration in reimagining the way events are designed and delivered in India and beyond.
Discussion at WRI India’s
‘Connect Karo’ Roundtable
The Climate Project Foundation (TCPF) participated in a roundtable discussion at Connect Karo, the flagship initiative of World Resources Institute – India, focused on reimagining urban spaces for climate resilience. TCPF was represented by Climate Reality Leader Shivam Singh and staff member Bhavesh Swami. The dialogue examined how corporate CSR partnerships can act as catalytic drivers in addressing urban challenges, with a special focus on the Urban Heat Island effect. TCPF shared its Green Campus Percolation (GCP) model, which presents a layered approach to climate action beginning at the campus level, extending to households, and ultimately influencing the wider community.
CLIMATE REALITY LEADERS- HIGHLIGHTS
Climate Reality Leader Nikhil Kamath comes up with his new comic book on climate change
Our Climate Reality Leader, Nikhil Kamath, has created a thought-provoking comic book on climate change titled “Where We Left Off”, which was recently featured in the Top 10 at the Verse of Short Story Contest 2023. Set in a city not unlike ours, the story follows a teenager who begins to notice the changes everyone else has learned to ignore, exploring what it means when a generation inherits silence instead of answers.
Through this compelling narrative, Nikhil invites readers to reflect on the world we are leaving behind and the urgent need for climate action. Where We Left Off is now available for readers who want to engage with climate stories in a fresh, creative way.
Know more about the comic book here- https://www.kinistudios.com/product-page/where-we-left-off
Climate Reality Leaders Engage Tea Growers on Climate Resilience
Climate Reality Leaders Rituraj Phukan, Mandvi Kulshrestha, Anand Pendharkar, and Anurag Shankar recently co-created a knowledge-sharing session for tea-growing communities at the grassroots of India’s agricultural value chain. The session highlighted the growing impact of climate change on tea production, particularly in West Bengal and Assam, where rising temperatures, erratic monsoons, and water scarcity are beginning to affect the taste and quality of India’s iconic tea blends—a vital cultural and economic resource.
The leaders shared field insights from organic farming practices and community-based climate adaptation models that have successfully enhanced resilience, including proactive measures in soil health, water conservation, and agroforestry. The dialogue was further strengthened by the presence of the local Member of Parliament, who acknowledged the urgency of the issue and assured that key recommendations would be taken to policy platforms for further action. This session underscored the power of collaboration between climate leaders and local communities in building a sustainable and resilient agricultural future.
