Certifying and awarding green schools

Recognising and awarding India’s most environmentally responsible schools, a staggering 356 schools received the coveted ‘Green’ certification from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Of these, 25 secured Green School Awards across 11 categories, in recognition of their exemplary initiatives in making their campuses environment-friendly and their students, environment-conscious.

The Annual Green Schools Programme (GSP) Awards Ceremony celebrates the ‘green’ achievements of outstanding schools from across the country for their ingenuity and progressive practices. The objective is to acknowledge their endeavours and encourage more schools to actively engage in this environmentally conscious movement. The awards ceremony is a significant and festive affair, showcasing the participation of schoolchildren from across the nation in diverse competition sand activities. The GSP Audit 2025 saw a massive participation of 8831 schools from 33 states and union territories.

The awards ceremony was attended by over 500 schoolchildren, their teachers and principals and key education department officials from across India. The event was graced by two prominent figures in the field of sustainability and education — CSE’s Director General Sunita Narain and Ladakh’s celebrated education reformer and innovator, Sonam Wangchuk, as per the press release. Together, they distributed awards to schools that demonstrated outstanding environmental stewardship through innovative practices and initiatives.

For the second consecutive year, Punjab secured the Best State Award, registering the highest number of audit submissions, as announced by a CSE press release. This year, 7406 schools from Punjab participated, with 196 earning a green rating. Hoshiarpur was recognised as the Best District, with 1945 schools submitting reports. Other awards included the Changemaker Awards that are given to schools which improve their sustainability rating from yellow to green by monitoring and improving their practices over the year. The Sterling Schools Awards recognized schools that have consistently demonstrated excellence in environmental sustainability by maintaining a Green School ranking for five consecutive years under the GSP. Several schools were also recognised for outstanding performance in specific categories. This list included Air Action Award, the Energy Manager Award, the Good Food Award, the Land Manager Award, the Water-Wise Award and the Waste Warrior Award. Emphasising the urgent need for a shift in education paradigms, the press release quotes Wangchuk as stating, “We need to redefine education. The education system we follow is from the industrial revolution. Today we know that things are falling apart. So, we better change.” His message reinforced the need for an educational framework that nurtures environmental consciousness from an early age.

The GSP Audit is a crucial environmental education initiative, according to the CSE, that allows schools to assess their use of resources and implement sustainable practices. The latest data from the 2024-25 audit reflects a remarkable shift towards sustainability among Indian schools.

As per a Down to Earth (DTE) press release, it was found 87% of schools surveyed do not own or use vehicles, reducing carbon emissions. 93% of schools have banned packaged food on campus, promoting sustainable eating habits. 77% have adopted energy-efficient lighting. 71% of schools have eliminated single-use plastic and 26% are utilising renewable energy sources such as solar power. 25% have implemented rainwater harvesting systems, 30% practice waste segregation and composting and 48% maintain a green cover exceeding 35 per cent of their total area. While these statistics indicate significant progress, challenges remain. A concerning 16% of schools still burn waste and 8% continue to use diesel vehicles, highlighting areas where further intervention and education are needed.

The GSP is an innovative environmental education initiative that enables schools to assess their resource use and implement sustainable practices. Through the audit, students evaluate their school’s performance across six key areas: air, energy, food, land, water, and waste. Schools completing the audit receive a sustainability rating — Green, Yellow, Orange, or Red — and a detailed performance report, guiding them to improve year after year. It is an environment management system that audits, through students, the consumption of natural resources within school campuses and helps schools become good environmental managers by deploying pragmatic solutions to reduce wastage of resources.

According to the DTE press release, the resounding message was that schools are at the forefront of the environmental movement, shaping a generation of environmentally conscious citizens.