EDF and AshokaX join hands to start Climate Corps Fellowship programme in India

New Delhi: Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Ashoka University joined hands to lead the Climate Corps Fellowship programme in India.

The Climate Corps Fellowship programme for working professionals will help bridge the critical ‘green skills’ gap in India.

“This partnership will boost the capacity of companies and other organisations in advancing their climate goals while identifying and training the next generation of sustainability leaders” said the EDF in a statement.

EDF started the Climate Corp Fellowship programme in 2008, and it is now operational in the United States, China and India.

In the last three years in India, the Climate Corps Fellowship programme has recruited, trained and placed more than 80 Climate Corps fellows, across over 20 organizations.

“Environmental Defense Fund is thrilled to partner with Ashoka University to grow the Climate Corps Fellowship programme. Ashoka and EDF share similar approaches of critical thinking, problem solving and innovation. This partnership will help build the next generation of sustainability talent in India” said Fred Krupp, President of the Environmental Defense Fund, a global non-profit tackling climate change with bold, game-changing solutions.

Speaking about the initative, Pramath Raj Sinha, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees and Founder at Ashoka University said “We are excited to partner with EDF for the Climate Corps Fellowship programme. There are many synergies between Ashoka’s and EDF’s visions for creating a sustainable world.

“This partnership will help prepare the next generation of sustainability leaders for the complex challenges posed by climate change globally. The programme will equip the fellows with the awareness, skills, and resources to drive climate action in India. We are hopeful that this programme will make a lasting impact,” he explained.

“This programme gives fellows a launching pad for a career in sustainability. Host organisations get high-quality talent to advance their sustainability goals. India’s workforce gets greener,” said Hisham Mundol, Chief Advisor of Environmental Defense Fund in India.

In the Indian context, EDF has been working to provide support in four distinct strategic areas for the country.

1,Enhancing sustainable livelihoods in agriculture, livestock, and fisheries.

2,Advancing corporate action to generate shareholder value through sustainable business operations.

3,supporting government capacity in areas like carbon pricing.

4,helping India balance economic growth and environmental sustainability imperatives.

This programme has over 3500 strong alumni network worldwide, with 80% directly working in sustainability roles across the world.

These fellows have worked with over 600 organisations on 1500 projects, including with 40% of the Fortune 100 companies.

“Through their efforts, they have managed about Rs 14,000 crore in energy savings, equivalent to 2.2 million metric tons of reduced greenhouse gas emissions” it said.