Green Mentors, an India-based Responsible Education Solution Provider organization successfully its 6th NYC Green School Conference -2022 at SUNY Maritime College New York on September 24, 2022. This was the first conference on Responsible Education in America during the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Responsible education empowers schools and universities to accept accountability for the future of their pupils and responsibility of the local environment. The conference was associated with Climate Week NYC, the largest event on climate on the planet.
This conference was held months after India and the U S held the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue and agreed further to strengthen cooperation in education and skill development through collaborations and promote student and scholar mobility to build people-to-people linkages between the two countries.
School leaders of India and America have launched the Indo – American Green School Network at this conference. The first network of schools will bring Indian and American Schools together to build a sustainable future for every child. The conference was divided in eight sessions, including Rethinking for Responsible Education, Leaders to learn from, SDG 4.7, and inspiring stories from outdoor Learning. In addition, Green Awards were presented to the celebrated Individuals and institutions for their exceptional contributions toward sustainable education. In every session, inspiring speakers presented their inspiring green stories, vision, and plans for sustainable and responsible education.
Virendra Rawat, the event organizer, said that this event inspired schools, Universities, Policymakers, education leaders and the member states of the United Nations to bring back responsible education for a sustainable future. The event Keynote Speaker was Dilip Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner of New York City Mayors’ Office for International Affairs. During his address, Chauhan mentioned that New York City Mayor Eric Adams has launched Building Action NYC a new citywide campaign to promote steps to make New York City’s buildings greener and more resilient while fostering a healthier future for the city and New Yorkers. The city’s more than one million buildings — covering more than five billion square feet — constitute the largest source of the city’s carbon emissions, contributing almost 70 percent of the city’s total emissions. The work to limit building emissions will be a critical component of the city’s work toward reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. “Buildings are the largest emitters of carbon, so we are investing in bringing renewable energy to them and making New York City a national leader in green buildings — creating tens of thousands of jobs for New Yorkers and delivering environmental justice for our city. Event was attended by high profile speakers such as Rear Adm. Michael Alfultis, President of SUNY Maritime College, New York, Dr Henry Stoever, President& CEO of Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB), Ryan Mcenany, Director, Energy & Resiliency of Pace University, New York, Paulo Vasconi Speroni, Coordinator of Youth Leadership and Innovation of United Nations, Dr.Nick Pozek, Assistant Director of Parker School of Foreign & Comparative Law at Columbia University, Arlae Castellanos Executive Director, Green Schools Alliance, Laura Johnson Collard Executive Director, Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education, Sibyl MaerFillo Director, Washington Outdoor School, Dr. Helen Bond, Professor ,School of Education Howard University, Washington DC, Deepa Vedavyas from Neighborhoods and Environment, Cleveland Foundation, Ramya Shivkumar Director of Energy & Sustainability Windward Engineers and Consultants, Dr. Frederick Kakembo Deputy Vice Chancellor Ndejje University Uganda, Birgilio Rivera Cabrera, CEO of Civil Association, Mexico, Julio C. Garay, Professor, Bronx Community College of the CUNY presented their inspiring stories at the conference.
The committee presented PATRON FOR PLANET AWARD 2022 to Dilip Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner for NYC Mayor’s Office for International Affairs.
