The Lighting Lives programme focusses on last mile electrification of schools with less than 3 hours of electricity through solar energy and transforming the delivery of education by establishing digital labs and working with students to shape up their minds for a cleaner and greener future. The aim is to ensure rural children have access to a modern, technology aided learning experience.
As of date, ReNew Foundation has electrified 76 schools, directly impacting the lives of around 35,000 students.
ReNew Foundation firmly believes that the youth are the primary-stakeholders in our fight against climate change, and efforts should be made to make them active drivers in the climate change mitigation narrative. With the ongoing climate emergency, and given that the youth face the highest degree of climate risk, we make efforts to educate, influence and empower the youth, especially the student community on the topics related to clean energy, sustainability, environment and climate change. We also encourage environmental conservation in our targeted schools across rural and urban areas.
We conduct workshops for these schools under ReNew’s employee volunteering program, where a ReNew employee visits these schools and conducts these sessions with live models, and AV material to educate them on the nuances of clean energy.
Additionally, the students of these schools get a first-hand immersion on the experience of installation and monitoring of the solar system
Objectives
The programme’s objective is to transform education through clean energy access and sensitize the youth on the importance of using renewables through the following-
Electrifying schools (with less than 3 hours of electricity) with solar energy
Establishing digital labs to facilitate and enhance digital education
Creating green ambassadors through advocacy on energy and environment
Impact
As of date, ReNew has electrified 61 schools, directly impacting the lives of around 25000 students by the following:
- Facilitating better learning environment through access to electricity
- Enhancing digital knowledge through establishment of computer labs
- Increasing learning levels and contributing towards increasing student enrolments across govt. schools
ReNew Foundation, in collaboration with prominent multilateral and philanthropic organizations, will be driving acceleration programs for women entrepreneurs in the climate space by anchoring program implementation, co-creating curriculums, mentoring entrepreneurs, and financing the project delivery.
Today, many parts of the world, including India, are facing the brunt of climate change in the form of draughts, floods, cyclones and wildfires. Millions are fighting for their livelihoods and loved ones. The socio-economic divide exasperated by the climate crisis puts immense pressure on nations to provide for and protect their citizens. The latest IPCC report shows greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, and highlights the urgency for all of us to aggressively pursue a net-zero future. As WHO rightly highlighted, climate change continues to be the greatest threat of the 21st century.
Realizing the urgency of the situation, our Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi shared the Panchamrit (the Five Commitments to fight climate change) and also called upon the support for the LiFE (Lifestyle for the Environment) movement that espouses 'mindful and deliberate utilisation' instead of 'mindless and destructive consumption'.
Towards this, ReNew Foundation is delighted to roll out ReNew Young Climate Leaders course – an interactive climate curriculum for Indian leaders of tomorrow. Modelled around the core principles of the LiFE movement, this course equips school students to be aware, empowered and inspired to lead a Lifestyle for Environment. With both classroom and online delivery platforms, this course will be delivered in English, Gujarati and Hindi. UNICEF reports that 27.5 crore children can be saved from climate risks by investment in climate change education. This will also trigger the necessary momentum required to encourage the Indian youth to pursue careers in the renewable energy and sustainability sectors. With our objective to democratize climate education in India, we aim to reach 20,000 students across 100 schools this year.
For ReNew Foundation, thought leadership becomes a critical tool to partner with leading stalwarts of the climate change and sustainability narratives, and deliberate on sustainable solutions for some of the leading problems the world.
By organizing roundtables, conferences, information sessions and dialogues, ReNew Foundation has brought together a wide array of thought-leaders under its banner, and brought out their views which are documented as reports and presented to policy-makers, who are also part of these events, for policy interventions on a grass-root and systemic level.
ReNew Foundation works with leading national and multilateral international organizations working in sectors like energy, sustainability, social responsibility and so on, to organize thought-leadership events.
