Five state schools bag the coveted Chief Minister’s GSP Rolling Trophy for 2022-23

Trophy given every year based on rankings done by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) for the 'greenest' schools in the state 

Shimla/New Delhi, June 5, 2023: On World Environment Day, five schools from Himachal Pradesh won laurels for their “green” efforts. The 2022-23 Chief Minister’s Rolling Trophies – instituted and awarded every year by Centre for Science and Environment’s (CSE) Green Schools Programme (GSP) – were given away at a function organised by the Himachal Pradesh Council for Science Technology and Environment (HIMCOSTE). 

Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh gave away the awards. 

With schools in Solan consistently practising environment-friendly measures over the last few years, the district was once again adjudged the best in the state. 

The winning schools

• Changemaker School Awards: GMBSSS Nalagarh and Kasauli International School from Solan, for demonstrating continuous improvement in their practices and infrastructure.
• Land Manager Award: Government Senior Secondary School Himgiri, in Chamba, for outstanding practices in managing its land resources.
• Waste Warrior Award: Government Senior Secondary School Gulela, Hamirpur, for its exceptional practices in managing solid waste.
• Energy Manager Award: Government Senior Secondary School, Kulhera, Hamirpur, for its commendable practices in energy management and conservation. 

The awards are given every year by the New Delhi-based think tank CSE – one of South Asia’s leading environmental research bodies -- in association with HIMCOSTE. The two organisations have been working together for almost a decade for furthering environment education in the state. 

CSE’s Green Schools Programme is an innovative initiative that encourages schools and their students and teachers to audit the environmental practices within their campuses, and strive to improve on them. 

Says Neeraj Kumar, deputy programme manager, environment education CSE: “Himachal Pradesh’s participation in the Programme since 2012 has increased significantly: from 44 schools in 2012 to over 800 today. In 2022-23, 114 schools from the state completed our GSP audit – the highest number from any state in the country."

The GSP-CM’s Rolling Trophy was instituted in 2017 to recognise schools who participated in the GSP Audit,with the aim of encouraging students to become environmental managers and instil values and conscience towards bettering the environment. 

What it means to be a Green School?

A green school may include, but is not limited, to the following: 

• A window to floor ratio (WFR) of more than 15 per cent.
• Majority of the population using sustainable and non-polluting modes of transport (public transport, e-rickshaws, cycling, walking, etc).
• Maximum use of energy-efficient lighting to conserve energy and use of alternative sources of energy – the GSP Audit encourages schools to minimise the use of conventional lights without compromising over sufficient lighting for students.
• Maintain a high green cover inside and around the school campus along with greater biodiversity by planting native species of plants. 
• Serve only cooked meals (avoid packaged foods) to ensure healthy food consumption.
• Harvest rainwater and treat wastewater.
• Segregate waste at source efficiently and dispose of responsibly -- recycling of at least 90 per cent of the waste is recommended
• Wet waste composted; waste should not be burned. 

For more on the event and the programme, please contact Neeraj Kumar from CSE’s environment education team: 9716281849, neeraj.kumar@cseindia.org