This Green Initiative Believes In Sustainable, Scalable, Replicable Models That Are Economically Viable HCL Harit is a distinct flagship programme of HCL Foundation under the Environment Action initiative
By Prabhjeet Bhatla •
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Earlier incubated under the HCL Uday programme, HCL Harit – The Green Initiative, is now a distinct flagship programme of HCL Foundation under the Environment Action. This programme envisions conserving, restoring, and enhancing indigenous environmental systems and responding to climate change in a sustainable manner through community engagement.
HCL Foundation director Nidhi Pundhir told Entrepreneur India that progress is governed by many factors that influence the results of development efforts. "We, at HCL Harit, strongly believe that for an overall change in the behavior, we must find sustainable, scalable, replicable models that are economically viable, socially acceptable, environmentally sustainable, holistic and inclusive; and ways to motivate individuals to find solutions for environmental problems. The theory of change concept enables us to drive the social change and set the tone for the prerequisite conditions that are imperative for this change to occur."
Structured public-private partnerships between various state departments, ULBs, community groups, and the foundation form the backbone of the programme. This cross-cutting collaboration with all stakeholders also provides a robust monitoring mechanism shared between corporate, Government, and implementing NGO partners. The grassroots level approach where communities participate in planning, as well as implementation, ensures continuous, holistic, and sustained impact because communities take ownership of the efforts. They have collaborated with Government agencies, efficient partners and community members through various environmental outreach activities, campaigns, and evidence-based advocacy and action.
Pundhir claims that all the HCL Harit interventions follow a participatory and convergent approach in attaining the desired results.
This unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has been a testing time for the platform in terms of ensuring on-ground project implementation. To overcome this, they said to have innovated their modus operandi and through their persistent efforts and community engagement, the platform was able to achieve the desired outputs.
Pundhir remarked, "One of the major innovations that has been incorporated was in environmental education. It was important for us to impart environmental stewardship, which focuses on becoming aware of individual choices and behaviors, practicing responsible use and protection of the natural environment through conscious action, and gaining confidence that local actions can generate significant impacts. Against this backdrop, we developed appropriate audio and audio-video content that engaged with children and their parents. The content was focused on building appreciation, interconnectedness and acquiring skills that reflect care and protection towards the environment."
HCL Harit focuses at building scalable and replicable models that are economically viable, socially acceptable, environmentally sustainable, holistic, and inclusive.
HCL Harit focuses on Increase in green cover, carbon sequestration, and native biodiversity through afforestation and habitat improvement, conservation and rejuvenation of waterbodies through community engagement, reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, improvement of coastal and marine habitats for native biodiversity and improving lives of stray animals and addressing human-animal conflict inside community areas.
All these interventions follow a participatory and convergent approach in attaining the desired results towards SDG goals aligned to the National Indicator Framework for SDG prescribed by NITI Aayog.
During its incubation under HCL Uday, HCL Harit asserted that the establishment has planted and nurtured over 280,000 saplings spanning an area of almost 115 acres, reduced emissions/sequestered 285 tons of CO2e, removed more than 7,000 waste from coastal areas, and rejuvenated over 50 waterbodies, resulting in 5,000 million liters increase in water holding capacity, and through various outreach efforts and environmental education projects it reached more than 20,000 people and ensured care and treatment for over 21,000 street animals.
