The Centre for Environmental Research & Education (CERE) is a Mumbai-based not-for-profit organization that works to promote environmental sustainability through research and innovation, formal education, government and corporate partnerships and publications. It was established in 2002 by Dr. (Ms.) Rashneh N. Pardiwala, an ecologist from the University of Edinburgh and Mrs. Kitayun Rustom, an environmental educationist. CERE has successfully completed projects in both urban and rural India having worked closely with different government departments, educational institutions, multinational companies and civil society organizations.
CERE’s mission is to nurture awareness and stewardship towards developing and facilitating the adoption of sustainable practices that bring human activities and livelihoods into balance with earth’s natural ecosystems. The goal of every initiative at CERE is to bring various stakeholders together for the mutual benefit of the environment and community.
About
Carbon Management and Environmental Sustainability Systems
Through the Carbon Map & Cap™ programme, CERE helps companies address the risks and opportunities posed by climate change. This initiative helps companies assess their environmental impact, develop mitigation strategies and report on their performance through internationally recognised platforms such as CDP and GRI G4. A unique feature of CERE’s CM&C programme is our employee engagement component that trains and facilitates employees to become an integral part of a company’s sustainability efforts within their own departments.
Renewable Energy
The Switch on Solar (SoS) project aims to help schools, educational institutions and hospitals transition to renewable energy through the installation of roof-top solar panels and net metering system in order to reduce load on the main electricity grid. CERE only installs the world's best and more advanced rooftop solar PV systems, even if the capital cost is initially higher, to ensure maximum power generation over 25 years with minimum silicon degradation, meeting international fire safety standards in the face of natural disasters such as cyclones and storms and ensuring less e-waste with durable systems that actually last for 25 years.
Additionally, we conduct environmental awareness sessions at the schools we solarize. Students get the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge about how solar energy works (as they see the solar panels and energy generation), carry out energy audits and so on. More details available at - https://sos.cere-india.org/
Lifetime Impact of the Project:
No. of institutions solarised: 35
Estimated MTCO2 of greenhouse emissions saved: 32,800
Estimated Financial Savings on electricity bills: 45,21,73,000
Urban Afforestation
The Urban Afforestation Project (UAP), apart from increasing much needed green cover in our congested and polluted cities, also helps create habitats for local flora and fauna thus augmenting biodiversity. Carbon Sequestration Certification is an integral part of the project, where sponsors are provided with a CERE Sequestration Certificate at the end of the plantation and assessment. CERE co-ordinates with various stakeholders and ensures maintenance of the plantations for 3 years. Strategies have been developed to ensure proper water management such as rainwater harvesting or flood water drainage structures before saplings are planted. Additionally, CERE always plants 10-15% more saplings to ensure survival rates of >95%. 192,000 native trees across 106 locations, in 24 cities in India and will sequester 45,041 tonnes of CO2. More details available at - https://uap.cere-india.org/
Lifetime Impact of the Project:
Trees planted: 2,49,500
Number of location: 119
Estimated MTCO2 sequestered: 55,100
Rainwater Harvesting
CERE's Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) and Watershed Development has helped harvest a total of 261.1 million litres of rainwater per annum across 6 projects. A life time savings of approximately Rs. 1.2 billion will be generated on water bills across these 6 locations, apart from the water savings. More details available at - https://cere-india.org/rainwater-harvesting/
Native Biodiversity Gardens
In order to augment Biodiversity, CERE has been creating biodiversity gardens in and around the city of Mumbai. Creating such habitats ensures the increase of biodiversity. However, the preliminary aim of these gardens is to provide opportunities for children to experience nature and make these gardens act as living textbooks. With such educational experiences children will grow up to be nature conservationists.
Through the Carbon Map & Cap™ programme, CERE helps companies address the risks and opportunities posed by climate change. This initiative helps companies assess their environmental impact, develop mitigation strategies and report on their performance through internationally recognised platforms such as CDP and GRI G4. A unique feature of CERE’s CM&C programme is our employee engagement component that trains and facilitates employees to become an integral part of a company’s sustainability efforts within their own departments.
The Switch on Solar (SoS) project aims to help schools, educational institutions and hospitals transition to renewable energy through the installation of roof-top solar panels and net metering system in order to reduce load on the main electricity grid. CERE only installs the world's best and more advanced rooftop solar PV systems, even if the capital cost is initially higher, to ensure maximum power generation over 25 years with minimum silicon degradation, meeting international fire safety standards in the face of natural disasters such as cyclones and storms and ensuring less e-waste with durable systems that actually last for 25 years.
Additionally, we conduct environmental awareness sessions at the schools we solarize. Students get the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge about how solar energy works (as they see the solar panels and energy generation), carry out energy audits and so on. More details available at - https://sos.cere-india.org/
Lifetime Impact of the Project:
No. of institutions solarised: 35
Estimated MTCO2 of greenhouse emissions saved: 32,800
Estimated Financial Savings on electricity bills: 45,21,73,000
Urban Afforestation
The Urban Afforestation Project (UAP), apart from increasing much needed green cover in our congested and polluted cities, also helps create habitats for local flora and fauna thus augmenting biodiversity. Carbon Sequestration Certification is an integral part of the project, where sponsors are provided with a CERE Sequestration Certificate at the end of the plantation and assessment. CERE co-ordinates with various stakeholders and ensures maintenance of the plantations for 3 years. Strategies have been developed to ensure proper water management such as rainwater harvesting or flood water drainage structures before saplings are planted. Additionally, CERE always plants 10-15% more saplings to ensure survival rates of >95%. 192,000 native trees across 106 locations, in 24 cities in India and will sequester 45,041 tonnes of CO2. More details available at - https://uap.cere-india.org/
Trees planted: 2,49,500
Number of location: 119
Estimated MTCO2 sequestered: 55,100
Rainwater Harvesting
CERE's Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) and Watershed Development has helped harvest a total of 261.1 million litres of rainwater per annum across 6 projects. A life time savings of approximately Rs. 1.2 billion will be generated on water bills across these 6 locations, apart from the water savings. More details available at - https://cere-india.org/rainwater-harvesting/
In order to augment Biodiversity, CERE has been creating biodiversity gardens in and around the city of Mumbai. Creating such habitats ensures the increase of biodiversity. However, the preliminary aim of these gardens is to provide opportunities for children to experience nature and make these gardens act as living textbooks. With such educational experiences children will grow up to be nature conservationists.
Catalogue
