CERE India
Encyclopedia
The Centre for Environmental Research and Education (CERE) is a Mumbai
-based not-for-profit organization
that works to promote environmental sustainability through action-oriented education, awareness and advocacy. CERE 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 is also a pioneer in the field of corporate sustainability
and carbon management systems where they help organisations map their carbon footprint
, meet international reporting standards, implement low cost carbon reductions strategies which ensure considerable financial savings and engage in staff awareness activities.
CERE has been commissioned for projects by IndusInd Bank
, Tata Capital Ltd, Hindustan Unilever Ltd, Tata Consultancy Services
, Rabo Bank, Tata Power
and others. In 2005, both Dr. Pardiwala and Mrs. Rustom were recognized as Social Entrepreneur for Change and awarded the international Ashoka Fellowship. In 2009, Dr. Pardiwala was selected as one of Asia’s 21 Young Leaders and conferred the Asia Society Fellowship in Japan
.
An 18-book Series of English Readers entitled 'A Wisdom of Words' from Stds. I – VIII. The aim of the Series is to develop a generation of sensitive, creative, thinking and environmentally-sensitive young adults by teaching analytical and appreciation skills besides grammar
and comprehension skills.The questions and exercises at the end of each story or poem in each reader and workbook have been designed to foster analytical thinking and help children to form and express ideas and opinions more effectively.
Green Office Manual
The Green Office Manual - a guide to sustainable practices: It is a quick and easy-to-use guide on sustainable practices and resource consumption in the corporate office
environment.
Environment Sustainability Booklets
A series of 6 pocket-size information booklets on Environmental Sustainability with a special focus on Climate Change
. The topics covered are Waste, Climate Change, Biodiversity
, Citizenship, Energy and Water & I. The booklets use simple language and provide comprehensive information and data on Global Warming. The booklets motivate individuals to take responsibility and act for the betterment of our environment and planet.
Out of the Box
Out of the Box is an imaginative and fun filled twist on an old idea – the recycling and reusing of waste. This art & craft book has 30 inventive, colourful and easy–to-do projects that use everyday household waste materials to make beautiful works of art.
Watts up with Energy
A colourfully illustrated reference book that uses informative content, unique images, experiments, project ideas, audits, and a host of intriguing facts to help children learn all about energy in a clear and enjoyable way.
. The project is an independent, stand-alone model with inherent qualities to ensure flexibility so that it can be adapted to site-specific situations and scaled up.
CERE will also help the company set-up an internal monitoring systems to ensure that every branch and office is a part of the project and all the carbon data can be captured pan-India to determine the carbon footprint of the entire organisation in the coming years.
CERE has been commissioned by companies such as IndusInd Bank and Tata Capital Ltd. to map their carbon footprint and help cap their carbon emissions.
Carbon Map & Cap™ Conference 2011
CERE's work with corporations in greening their business practices, process and supply chains and the tangible results in terms of cost savings and carbon emission reductions is what led to the organisation of the Carbon Map & Cap Conference on green and sustainable business practices within the atmosphere of climate change mitigation.
This would cover the Why (Purpose), What (Content) and How (Method) of Environmental Education
This workshop would be essentially similar to the one given above but additionally would focus on how a school can become sustainable in all aspects of its working.
This would explain the topic of Climate Change together with the mitigation strategies and how these could be implemented in schools.
An excellent program that would lead schools to working at resource conservation and help schools use waste for all their art and craft work and for projects and for bulletin board
displays.
for many years are highly experienced and skilled in developing creative, informative and topical content on a range of subjects for a varied audience be it governmental, corporate or educational organisations. The learning material is meticulously researched, creatively designed, visualized and rendered to ensure maximum impact. CERE can design content for a range of applications and media ranging from publications, websites, educational aides, film scripts, e-learning
modules, posters and pamphlets. All our publications and films to-date have been visualized, designed and developed in-house. CERE was commissioned to research and script a film on Climate Change by the Ministry of Science & Technology (MoST) in collaboration with National Geographic Society
entitled Cutting Carbon.
CERE has also researched, collated and compiled all the past work documents to fully develop the content for the first official website of Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority (MWRRA).
, Aga Khan Educational Society, American Centre, Bombay International School, British Council
, Concern India, Indian Business School, InspirEd, J B Petit High School for Girls, JSW Foundation, Oberoi Hotel
, Rotary Clubs, St. Xavier's College, Symbiosis Footprints
Carbon Footprint Measuring
Carbon Reduction Strategies (to help companies become Carbon Neutral and Carbon Positive)
Formulating Environment Policies
Undertaking Sustainability Reporting
ISO Certification 14064
Ideation and Implementation of specific sustainability projects like solar ATM project for banks, solar tree, greening supply chain
s etc.
Designing and implementing CSR for sustainability
Facilitation of sustainability through partnerships and technological interventions for eg Green IT solutions, E-waste and recyclers, biogas
, rainwater harvesting etc.
Employee & Management Training on Sustainability
Developing learning materials for training
Designing and implementing Environmental campaigns for outreach and educational purposes
Organising Events
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
-based not-for-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
that works to promote environmental sustainability through action-oriented education, awareness and advocacy. CERE was established in 2002 by Dr. (Ms.) Rashneh N. Pardiwala, an ecologist from the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
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
Civil society
Civil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...
organizations. CERE is also a pioneer in the field of corporate sustainability
Corporate sustainability
Corporate sustainability is a business approach that creates long-term consumer and employee value by not only creating a "green" strategy aimed towards the natural environment, but taking into consideration every dimension of how a business operates in the social, cultural, and economic environment...
and carbon management systems where they help organisations map their carbon footprint
Carbon footprint
A carbon footprint has historically been defined as "the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person.". However, calculating a carbon footprint which conforms to this definition is often impracticable due to the large amount of data required, which is...
, meet international reporting standards, implement low cost carbon reductions strategies which ensure considerable financial savings and engage in staff awareness activities.
CERE has been commissioned for projects by IndusInd Bank
IndusInd Bank
IndusInd Bank Limited is a Mumbai based Indianew generation bank, established in 1994. The bank offers commercial, transactional and electronic banking products and services. Indusind Bank was incorporated in April 1994 by Dr. Manmohan Singh the then Union Finance Minister...
, Tata Capital Ltd, Hindustan Unilever Ltd, Tata Consultancy Services
Tata Consultancy Services
Tata Consultancy Services Limited is a global IT services, business solutions and outsourcing company headquartered in Mumbai, India. It is the largest provider of information technology in Asia and second largest provider of business process outsourcing services in India...
, Rabo Bank, Tata Power
Tata Power
Tata Power is India’s oldest and largest private sector power utility with an installed generation capacity of over 2977 MW.On the 22 March 2011 it has announced partnership with Sunengy an Australian firm, to build India's first floating solar plant....
and others. In 2005, both Dr. Pardiwala and Mrs. Rustom were recognized as Social Entrepreneur for Change and awarded the international Ashoka Fellowship. In 2009, Dr. Pardiwala was selected as one of Asia’s 21 Young Leaders and conferred the Asia Society Fellowship in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Fields of Expertise
- Carbon Footprint Mapping & Capping for companies
- Developing Educational Aides such as books, short films, presentations
- Undertaking Environmental Awareness Lectures & Seminars
- Conducting In-house Teacher Training Workshops on Environmental Education
- Consulting on Green Procurement & Supply Chains
- Developing E-Policy & Sustainability Reports
Publications
Wisdom of WordsAn 18-book Series of English Readers entitled 'A Wisdom of Words' from Stds. I – VIII. The aim of the Series is to develop a generation of sensitive, creative, thinking and environmentally-sensitive young adults by teaching analytical and appreciation skills besides grammar
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
and comprehension skills.The questions and exercises at the end of each story or poem in each reader and workbook have been designed to foster analytical thinking and help children to form and express ideas and opinions more effectively.
Green Office Manual
The Green Office Manual - a guide to sustainable practices: It is a quick and easy-to-use guide on sustainable practices and resource consumption in the corporate office
Office
An office is generally a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it ; the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty. When used as an adjective, the...
environment.
Environment Sustainability Booklets
A series of 6 pocket-size information booklets on Environmental Sustainability with a special focus on Climate Change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
. The topics covered are Waste, Climate Change, Biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
, Citizenship, Energy and Water & I. The booklets use simple language and provide comprehensive information and data on Global Warming. The booklets motivate individuals to take responsibility and act for the betterment of our environment and planet.
Out of the Box
Out of the Box is an imaginative and fun filled twist on an old idea – the recycling and reusing of waste. This art & craft book has 30 inventive, colourful and easy–to-do projects that use everyday household waste materials to make beautiful works of art.
Watts up with Energy
A colourfully illustrated reference book that uses informative content, unique images, experiments, project ideas, audits, and a host of intriguing facts to help children learn all about energy in a clear and enjoyable way.
The Carbon Map & Cap™ Initiative
The Carbon Map & Cap™ Initiative has been designed by CERE keeping in mind that the project must be initially piloted in one branch of a company and then be easily replicated by all branches across IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The project is an independent, stand-alone model with inherent qualities to ensure flexibility so that it can be adapted to site-specific situations and scaled up.
CERE will also help the company set-up an internal monitoring systems to ensure that every branch and office is a part of the project and all the carbon data can be captured pan-India to determine the carbon footprint of the entire organisation in the coming years.
CERE has been commissioned by companies such as IndusInd Bank and Tata Capital Ltd. to map their carbon footprint and help cap their carbon emissions.
Carbon Map & Cap™ Conference 2011
CERE's work with corporations in greening their business practices, process and supply chains and the tangible results in terms of cost savings and carbon emission reductions is what led to the organisation of the Carbon Map & Cap Conference on green and sustainable business practices within the atmosphere of climate change mitigation.
Teacher Training Workshops
CERE conducts Teacher Training Workshops on the following topics:- Environmental Education in Action
This would cover the Why (Purpose), What (Content) and How (Method) of Environmental Education
- Green Sustainable Schools
This workshop would be essentially similar to the one given above but additionally would focus on how a school can become sustainable in all aspects of its working.
- Climate Change Education
This would explain the topic of Climate Change together with the mitigation strategies and how these could be implemented in schools.
- Art and Craft with Waste
An excellent program that would lead schools to working at resource conservation and help schools use waste for all their art and craft work and for projects and for bulletin board
Bulletin board
A bulletin board is a surface intended for the posting of public messages, for example, to advertise things to buy or sell, announce events, or provide information...
displays.
Content Development
CERE team members having worked in the field of educationEducation
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
for many years are highly experienced and skilled in developing creative, informative and topical content on a range of subjects for a varied audience be it governmental, corporate or educational organisations. The learning material is meticulously researched, creatively designed, visualized and rendered to ensure maximum impact. CERE can design content for a range of applications and media ranging from publications, websites, educational aides, film scripts, e-learning
E-learning
E-learning comprises all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching. The information and communication systems, whether networked learning or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process...
modules, posters and pamphlets. All our publications and films to-date have been visualized, designed and developed in-house. CERE was commissioned to research and script a film on Climate Change by the Ministry of Science & Technology (MoST) in collaboration with National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
entitled Cutting Carbon.
CERE has also researched, collated and compiled all the past work documents to fully develop the content for the first official website of Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority (MWRRA).
Lectures, Workshops & Seminars
CERE conducts awareness lectures and seminars for companies, educational institutes, housing societies, service clubs, other NGO's etc. Topics could include Climate Change & its impact on human society, Waste Management, Water Conservation, Climate Change & Food, Rain Water Harvesting, Sustainability - Best Practices, Carbon Mapping & Capping, Energy & the Environment etc. CERE has conducted lectures, workshops for the many reputed organisations including AccentureAccenture
Accenture plc is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company headquartered in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. It is the largest consulting firm in the world and is a Fortune Global 500 company. As of September 2011, the company had more than 236,000 employees across...
, Aga Khan Educational Society, American Centre, Bombay International School, British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
, Concern India, Indian Business School, InspirEd, J B Petit High School for Girls, JSW Foundation, Oberoi Hotel
Oberoi Hotels & Resorts
The Oberoi Group, founded in 1934, owns and/or operates 29 hotels and 3 cruise liners in five countries.It remains one of the most decorated hotel chains in the world with many of its group hotels bagging various awards and accolades from Travel+Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Forbes and...
, Rotary Clubs, St. Xavier's College, Symbiosis Footprints
Art & Craft from Waste
The Art & Craft from Waste project gets school children in Mumbai to explore and use a range of waste materials within their art-n-craft classes, by developing new and easy-to-adopt ideas and techniques. This will make children aware of the environmental problems caused by garbage and how they can be a part of the solution, by looking at waste as a cheap resource to be used meaningfully. After the project finishes, a Handbook on Art-n-Craft from Waste will be published, to ensure that the work carried out in this project can reach a wider audience of teachers and students throughout Mumbai and India .Environmental Consultancy
CERE undertakes a wide and comprehensive range of consultancy that will help organizations attain its sustainability goals and has a enormous of experience for undertaking consultancies for governmental sector, corporate sector, institutions, NGOs and even for individuals. The following are some of the consultancies that CERE has previously undertaken:Carbon Footprint Measuring
Carbon Reduction Strategies (to help companies become Carbon Neutral and Carbon Positive)
Formulating Environment Policies
Undertaking Sustainability Reporting
ISO Certification 14064
Ideation and Implementation of specific sustainability projects like solar ATM project for banks, solar tree, greening supply chain
Supply chain
A supply chain is a system of organizations, people, technology, activities, information and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer. Supply chain activities transform natural resources, raw materials and components into a finished product that is delivered to...
s etc.
Designing and implementing CSR for sustainability
Facilitation of sustainability through partnerships and technological interventions for eg Green IT solutions, E-waste and recyclers, biogas
Biogas
Biogas typically refers to a gas produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Organic waste such as dead plant and animal material, animal dung, and kitchen waste can be converted into a gaseous fuel called biogas...
, rainwater harvesting etc.
Employee & Management Training on Sustainability
Developing learning materials for training
Designing and implementing Environmental campaigns for outreach and educational purposes
Organising Events