VMPL

Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], May 29: Green India Challenge, one of the world's largest citizen-led environmental movements aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emerged as a major highlight at the Climate Innovation Summit 2026 held at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB). The summit brought together policymakers, climate experts, sustainability leaders, and innovators to discuss India's transition toward Net Zero and Viksit Bharat 2047 through collaborative climate governance and scalable grassroots action.

Organised jointly by the IIMB Supply Chain Sustainability Lab and Net Zero Think, the two-day summit featured more than 70 global speakers across multiple thematic sessions focusing on sustainability, policy innovation, climate finance, carbon markets, and community-led environmental action. A key discussion during the event centred around 'Rethinking Climate Federalism: Rewiring Policy, Practice, and Innovation for Local Action,' highlighting the need for stronger coordination between national climate commitments and local implementation systems.

The summit showcased how large-scale public participation can become a driving force in climate governance. Through plantation drives, sustainability campaigns, and institutional partnerships, Green India Challenge has mobilised nearly 196 million geo-tagged trees and engaged over 44 million citizens across India. The movement has witnessed participation from government leaders, environmentalists, spiritual organisations, educational institutions, and corporate stakeholders, positioning itself as a nationwide model for citizen-driven climate action.

Addressing the session, Green India Challenge founder and former Rajya Sabha Member Shri Joginipally Santosh Kumar described the 'missing middle' as India's biggest climate governance challenge, referring to the gap between policy frameworks and ground-level execution. He emphasised that climate federalism can succeed only when governments, communities, and market forces work together to deliver measurable impact at the local level.

The discussion also drew attention to heatwaves as one of India's most urgent climate policy concerns. Experts at the summit highlighted that several Indian cities crossed 46 degrees Celsius during April 2026, while heat stress reportedly caused the loss of nearly 247 billion labour hours in 2024. Participants stressed the importance of including heatwaves within India's official disaster relief funding framework under SDRF and NDRF mechanisms.

A major attraction of the summit was 'Punarvasu - The Reconstruction Tree,' a first-of-its-kind carbon-negative initiative launched during the event. Under the programme, one geo-tagged bamboo tree was planted for every participant and speaker attending the summit, with a commitment to nurture each tree for 1,000 days. Participants also received personalised certificates containing GPS coordinates and QR-enabled carbon absorption tracking systems.

The summit further highlighted the growing role of educational institutions in climate governance through the Climate Action Campus Talks (CACT) initiative led by Igniting Minds Organisation (IMO), a Section 8 non-profit organisation. The programme has already been conducted across premier institutions including IIT Delhi, IIT Mumbai, JNU Delhi, and BITS Hyderabad, promoting campus-based carbon audits, Green Clubs, and Mission LiFE integration.

Speaking during the summit, Santosh Kumar also invited climate leaders, institutions, and global sustainability partners to participate in Hyderabad Climate Action Week 2026, scheduled to be held from December 8-12 at HICC Hyderabad. The event is expected to bring together delegates, policymakers, and climate innovators from across the Global South to accelerate post-COP climate action and sustainable development partnerships.

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