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MUMBAI: After a huge success of the NDTV-Toyota environment campaign Greenathon I & II, NDTV in partnership with Toyota today announced the Green Awards to encourage, acknowledge and award the Champions of the Earth for environmental leadership (globally) contributing most towards protecting our environment.
These awards will capture the crucial role played by different segments of society. They will showcase examples of excellence and best practices in finding solutions to the green issues.
A first-of-its-kind award in India, Green Awards aim to recognise excellence in all sections of the society- Rural, Urban, Corporate, Domestic, Educational Institutions & Resident Welfare Associations. The contenders will be judged by eminent jury and the awardees will be given a cash prize of ` 100, 000/-, a certificate and a Green Trophy. The eminent jury of experts, in partnership with TERI, from environmental and sustainable fields will form a steering group created for the Awards, to ensure we move forward with the best possible advice and expertise available. Actor Priyanka Chopra will play a key role as a Green Ambassador in this initiative.
The GREEN Awards are global and are opened for entries from all over the world. The GREEN Awards will recognise excellence in several categories such as Best Green Product, Best Green Ambassador, Best Green State among others, details of the same will be available on ndtv.com/greenawards shortly. Nominations will start from August and continue till September. Selection of the winners and awards announcement will take place in November this year. To raise awareness of the same, the Awards will be supported by an extensive media campaign in print and on radio as well.
Announcing the Green Awards, Dr. Prannoy Roy, Chairman, NDTV Ltd, said, "The first and second years of the NDTV-Toyota Greenathon have been a huge success, and as we announce the Green Awards we are once again reaffirming our commitment to the cause which has become an inherent part of NDTV. We look forward to your support in establishing the NDTV-Toyota Green Awards on the national eco-calendar."
Pledging her support as the Green ambassador, Priyanka Chopra added, "I am very privileged to be associated with this important initiative once again. During my association with the second edition of the NDTV Greenathon, I was exposed to thousands of stories of individuals and companies who were making a serious effort towards ensuring we have a greener and safer tomorrow. Which is why I believe that the Green Awards are such a great idea? acknowledging the efforts of all those people involved in this very worthy cause. I also hope that the Green Awards will encourage others to come forward and contribute towards saving the environment."
Appreciating the efforts, Mr. Jairam Ramesh, Minister for Environment and Forests said, "Climate change is both a global and domestic issue today and requires a joint and concerted effort on the part of all concerned. This includes government, private industries, civil society groups as well as individuals. We need to significantly improve India‘s natural forest cover, establish an effective environmental grievance tribunal and chalk out a climate change agenda for sustainable and long-term growth. It is very important to inform and remind our citizens of the overarching importance to utilise our resources judiciously. I am glad that NDTV & Toyota have come together
to speak out in furtherance of this noble cause. We applaud and support the work these responsible organisations are doing to secure the planet for our future generations, and hope they will continue their good work into the future."
Expressing his view on the partnership between NDTV & TERI Dr. RK Pachauri, Nobel Laureate for Peace Prize 2007, Director General TERI and Chairman IPCC, said, "The NDTV Toyota Green campaign is a positive step to mobilise the masses and ignite a green movement. The Greenathon I & II received enthusiastic public support from all sections of society. The association between NDTV & TERI brought light to millions of rural people in India. It is wonderful to see the partnership flourishing. I am happy NDTV conceived Green Awards. TERI will provide all possible support to make this Green awards successful."
Sharing his views on the initiative, Mr. Hiroshi Nakagawa, Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motors added, "Toyota is proud to be associated with India‘s biggest green awards. We believe in sustainable development, which means achieving synergy between environmental conservation and economic growth. To achieve this synergy, it is imperative that the cause of the environment be publicized as widely as possible, and green initiatives be recognized and adequately awarded. At our plant, we practice environment-friendly systems and processes to ensure the development of a prosperous, low-carbon society. Our plant is surrounded by a green belt and our operations (and those of our dealerships) meet the highest environmental standards. Last year, we executed a large-scale afforestation activity at our plant, where our employees, their friends and families and other stakeholders came together to plant nearly 64000 saplings."
