ReNew Power pitches for climate education in Rural schools

New Delhi: ReNew Power, India’s leading renewable energy company, has joined hands with HSBC India to electrify 75 schools in the three states Gujarat, Karnataka, and Rajasthan through solar energy and imparting climate education.

“The company has also decided to introduce a climate change and sustainability curriculum covering 35,000 children in these schools to educate children about climate change and its adverse impacts,” ReNew Power said in a statement.

“Under the program the company also decided to set up digital labs in each of the schools, with a total grant of Rs150 million (15 Crore)  for the entire project” it said.

Speaking about  the project, Vaishali Sinha, Chief Sustainability Officer, ReNew, said, “The program’s objective is to enhance access to learning, including digital education, and create practical awareness about the importance of fighting climate change for a better, greener and cleaner future for India. It will provide the children with better facilities for their modern educational needs.

“Educating young people about sustainability and climate change is key as they will be the future warriors against global warming and preserving our beautiful planet” she said.

“Our curriculum is very much in sync with our Hon’ble Prime Minister’s powerful call for a LiFE (Lifestyle for the Environment) movement, which promotes an environmentally conscious lifestyle for all ages. We are proud to partner with a socially responsible business such as HSBC India for this initiative,” Vaishali added.

Highlighting the significance of the partnership, Aloka Majumdar, Head of Corporate Sustainability, HSBC India, said, “Education is a critical enabler of the rural ecosystem. Our partnership with ReNew is a step towards building better infrastructure for schools by providing access to electricity through renewable sources.

“As part of our larger sustainability efforts towards enabling the energy transition and combating climate change, we’re excited about the prospect of introducing a sustainability- focused curriculum for students. We’re committed to furthering the energy shift to address multiple objectives of improving energy access for the population, enhancing quality of life, and conserving our natural resources” he said.

This partnership comes at the back of another initiative, ‘Project Surya,’ where ReNew is working with its partners to train  1,000 women salt pan workers as solar panel and solar pump technicians to improve their lives and livelihoods and bring them into the clean energy transition.

“The ReNew Power-HSBC India partnership aims to scale sustainability from the ground up by empowering communities to improve their lives and build understanding of the impacts of climate change” it said.