Green Future Leaders Meet: Building a greener future, together

On Tourism Day, Nature lovers gathered at Karma Lakelands eco-resort to promote sustainable practices in the community

A gathering of environmentalists recently celebrated Tourism Day (September 27) at Karma Lakelands, Gurugram in Haryana. The event, titled Green Future Leaders Meet, brought together environmentally-conscious individuals from various parts of the world, uniting them for a greater mission. “The idea of the event was to expand the circle of nature lovers, and work towards a common goal of making the planet more liveable for the future generations — whether it’s through waste management or composting,” said Ashwani Khurana, founder and CEO of Karma Lakelands eco-resort.

(L-R): Kanchana Weerakoon, Ashwani Khurana, Harsimran Shergill, Diki Bhutia, Prof Dr SN Mishra, Peepal Baba, Rakesh Mathur, Santosh Gupta , Anil Sood and Anu Khurana

The resort is one such model that works on various responsible living practices. “Our goal is to spread the message to colleges, schools, corporate as well as factories, and inform them about taking responsible initiatives and creating symbiotic relationships. For instance, our next-door neighbours send food (their waste, sewage is used as a fertilizer for our plants) for over 12,000 trees of the Devakad forest, and in return, the trees provide them with fresh air and oxygen.”

SN Mishra, professor at TERI also presented the carbon accounting report of the property at the occasion. “The audit sets a clear path for Karma Lakelands to achieve net-zero emissions in the next four years. By expanding their solar capacity, energy efficiency, and forest cover, they are also involving the community in its journey towards net-zero emissions,” he shared.

Simplifying how the property is a hub for various species, native flora and fauna, naturist Ishtiyak Ahamad, said, “The location is a self-sustained forest, fostering a balanced relationship between prey and the predator. Additionally, it has excellent air quality, serving as a habitat for scores of butterflies, which in itself is an excellent indicator of good quality air. What’s more, one can even spot owls at night.”

The keynote speakers of the event were the president of The Centre for Responsible Leadership HE Bawa Jain and CEO of Stewardship Asia Centre, Singapore Rajeev Peshawaria. Those present also included Karma Lakelands’ partners, environmentalists Peepal Baba of Give Me Trees trust and Dinesh Chandra of Global Wellbeing Network, among others.