<a href="https://www.balrampurchini.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Balrampur Chini Mills Limited (BCML) </a>formally launched Bioyug Green Command 2026 on Friday, marking World Environment Day with a first-of-its-kind platform aimed at accelerating India&#8217;s bioplastics revolution and reducing the nation&#8217;s dependence on conventional petroleum-based plastics.



The launch, held in collaboration with the Lucknow Cantonment Board, was presided over by <a href="https://x.com/i/status/2062855942639952176">Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh </a>as chief guest, signalling growing government support for bio-based indigenous manufacturing as a strategic national priority.



The event formalised a landmark collaboration between Balrampur Bioyug and the Lucknow Cantonment Board following an earlier memorandum of understanding and BCML&#8217;s first institutional order for compostable polylactic acid (PLA)-based products. PLA, derived from sugarcane, is a fully organic bioplastic that breaks down within 180 days and converts into compost rather than waste.



Speaking at the launch, BCML Chairman and Managing Director Vivek Saraogi said India stood at a defining moment where economic growth and environmental responsibility must advance together.



&#8220;Through Bioyug Green Command 2026, we are bringing together government, industry, institutions and communities to accelerate this transition and demonstrate how innovation-led solutions can contribute meaningfully to a cleaner, greener and more self-reliant India,&#8221; Saraogi said.



Executive Director Avantika Saraogi framed the shift to biomaterials as an economic opportunity as much as an environmental necessity.



&#8220;The last century belonged to oil and petrochemicals; the next can belong to farmers and fields,&#8221; she said. &#8220;The materials of the future will not only be mined from beneath the earth but cultivated above it, through the power of agriculture.&#8221;



Addressing the gathering, Defence Minister Singh drew attention to the accelerating public health toll of microplastics, citing scientific research indicating that approximately 350,000 people die globally each year due to microplastic exposure, with plastic particles now detectable in the blood of newborns.



Singh highlighted the national security dimension of the transition to bioplastics, noting that India&#8217;s existing 20% ethanol blending programme had shielded the domestic economy from supply chain disruptions triggered by recent West Asian geopolitical turbulence.



&#8220;By generating resources from our sugarcane, rice, and organic waste, we will strengthen our security framework,&#8221; Singh said. &#8220;While fulfilling our environmental obligations, we can become a self-reliant, bio-based economy.&#8221;



Two high-level panel discussions formed a centrepiece of the programme. The first, titled &#8220;Mandate to Market: Unlocking the Bioplastics Value Chain in Uttar Pradesh,&#8221; examined policy support and market opportunities required to scale bioplastics adoption. The second, &#8220;From Mess to Mission: Bioplastics for Defence,&#8221; explored sustainable material integration within defence establishments.



A parallel highlight was the felicitation of meritorious ITI girl students from Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, participating in the &#8220;Building Skills. Transforming Futures&#8221; initiative — a women-focused 3D printing training programme using Bioyug PLA, run by Balrampur Foundation in partnership with ITI Mohammadi.



BCML, one of India&#8217;s largest integrated sugar companies, is currently developing the country&#8217;s first PLA plant with a capacity of 80,000 tonnes per annum. The company operates ten sugar factories across Uttar Pradesh with an aggregate crushing capacity of 80,000 TCD.



The event drew participation from over 2,000 stakeholders spanning government, industry, academia, defence, and civil society.



Bioyug Green Command 2026 is anchored in the proposition that &#8220;the future of materials is grown, not drilled,&#8221; positioning India&#8217;s agricultural base as the foundation of its emerging circular bioeconomy.

Balrampur Chini launches Bioyug Green Command 2026 to drive India&#8217;s bioplastics revolution

HCLTech awards USD 1 million under its <a href="https://americas-grant.hcltech.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HCLTech Climate Grant </a>to three nonprofit organizations in the Americas for innovative climate resilience projects, with Guatemala’s CISP taking the top prize.



CISP will receive USD 500,000 to enhance water security and sustainable land management in Guatemala’s dry corridor through rainwater harvesting benefiting 200 families, the company said in a statement.



Runners-up Aves Argentinas (Argentina) and Lluvia para Todos (Mexico) will each get USD 250,000 for biodiversity conservation in the Atlantic Forest and community rainwater systems serving 2,300 people, respectively.



The third edition of the HCLTech Climate Grant saw applications from 10 countries across the Americas, a 41 percent increase from previous years. A jury of HCLTech leaders and external experts selected the winners based on scalability and local relevance.



“We are inspired by the ingenuity and commitment demonstrated by this year’s recipients,” said Nidhi Pundhir, Senior Vice President, Global CSR, HCLTech.



Launched in 2023 with a USD 5 million commitment over five years, the program has so far supported ecological restoration, planted over 360,000 trees and mangroves, and empowered more than 1,400 young people in climate leadership.

HCLTech awards $1 million climate grants in Americas

Multi-business conglomerate ITC deploys ITC AI climate tools to decode nature’s signals and drive targeted adaptation measures across its operations and agricultural catchments as the world marks World Environment Day 2026.



Under the theme “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future” and the call #NowForClimate, ITC has conducted AI-powered climate risk assessments at 140 sites, including owned assets and third-party units, covering 20+ metrics such as floods, drought, extreme wind and more across multiple scenarios.



Using these insights, the company is implementing site-specific adaptation plans featuring engineering solutions, nature-based interventions, early warning systems and community preparedness measures, ITC said in a statement.



In agriculture, ITC has leveraged AI for farm-level studies to assess climate impacts on crop yields and is rolling out hyper-local advisories, climate-resilient crop varieties and regenerative practices through its ITCMAARS platform.



The company has expanded its Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) programme to nearly 32 lakh acres, benefiting over 12 lakh farmers, with a target of 4 million acres by 2030.



“By combining AI, climate science and collaborative partnerships, we can turn data into insights and insights into meaningful action,” said S. Sivakumar, Group Head – Agri &amp; IT Businesses and Sustainability, ITC Ltd.



ITC has also scaled decarbonisation efforts, with over 50% of its energy from renewable sources and a goal of 100% renewable electricity by 2030. The company aims for Net Zero Operations by 2050.

ITC deploys AI for climate resilience in India

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday pledges a massive West Bengal tree plantation campaign named &#8216;Ekti Gaach Mayer Naame&#8217;, targeting 1.10 crore trees by March 2027, while raising alarm over rapid concretisation of Kolkata and shrinking green cover.



Speaking at a state-level <a href="https://www.un.org/en/observances/environment-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Environment Day</a> event at Nalban in Bidhannagar, Adhikari said unchecked urban expansion under the previous regime had turned Greater Kolkata into a &#8220;concrete jungle&#8221;, ignoring mandatory green space norms in construction projects.



&#8220;Greater Kolkata region is gradually turning into a concrete jungle… We have created vast stretches of concrete and will have to pay the price for this injustice in the future,&#8221; he said.



Adhikari announced that the new government would strictly enforce rules requiring at least one-third of construction project areas to be maintained as green spaces. He also expressed concern over declining forest land in North Bengal and its impact on ecological balance.



The <a href="https://www.westbengalforest.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">West Bengal tree plantation initiative,</a> coordinated by the forest department, will involve large-scale sapling plantation across the state over the next 10 months. The drive was symbolically launched with Adhikari planting an indigenous sapling along the Nalban waterbody, followed by the release of fish fingerlings to restore aquatic ecosystems.



The Chief Minister said educational institutions, clubs and social organisations forming eco-clubs would receive financial assistance from the state government. He urged citizens, especially the youth, to make environmental protection a way of life beyond just observing Environment Day.



Senior officials, including the chief secretary and department heads, along with 50 student &#8216;environment ambassadors&#8217; under Mission LiFE, participated in the event.

West Bengal CM launches 1.1cr tree plantation drive

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu led an Andhra CM bicycle ride in Visakhapatnam on Friday to commemorate <a href="https://www.un.org/en/observances/environment-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Environment Day</a> and promote sustainable living.



Donning a light green cap, Naidu pedalled from <a href="https://www.andhrauniversity.edu.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andhra University</a> to a nearby hotel where he was scheduled to attend a workshop on seafood exports. Public representatives, officials and local residents joined the Chief Minister on bicycles.



&#8220;Today is Environment Day and to increase awareness among people I will travel on a bicycle. Cycling should become a lifestyle,&#8221; Naidu told reporters before starting the Andhra CM bicycle ride.



The Chief Minister directed officials to transform Andhra University into a net-zero campus and commits to developing solar energy and planting trees across its 450-acre land bank. He highlighted the environmental imbalance evident from rising temperatures and frequent cyclones.



Naidu also pledged a dedicated cycling track in Visakhapatnam, increasing the port city&#8217;s green cover to 50 per cent, and measures to reduce pollution from the port and other institutions.



Source: PTI

Andhra CM Naidu leads bicycle ride in Vizag on World Environment Day

<a href="https://rajasthan.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rajasthan Chief Minister</a> Bhajanlal Sharma on Friday launched two major greening initiatives — ‘Hariyalo Rajasthan’ and ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ — by planting a banyan sapling at the World Forestry Arboretum in Jhalana on <a href="https://www.unep.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Environment Day</a>.



Extending greetings on the occasion, Sharma urged citizens across the state to actively participate in plantation drives during the upcoming monsoon season and contribute to environmental conservation.



The chief minister said the state government is committed to a clean environment and sustainable green development. He emphasised that collective efforts are key to nature conservation, water preservation, afforestation and maintaining ecological balance.



“We must work together to make Rajasthan environmentally strong and secure a better future for coming generations,” Sharma said.



He highlighted ongoing initiatives such as ‘Vande Ganga’ for water conservation and ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ for widespread tree plantation. The state budget for 2026-27 has set a target to plant and conserve 10 crore saplings to transform Rajasthan into a green state.



Sharma stressed the importance of public participation in environmental protection, water conservation and increasing green cover.



Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel, Forest Minister Sanjay Sharma, MP Manju Sharma and senior officials were present on the occasion.

Rajasthan CM launches greening campaigns on World Environment Day

<a href="https://www.congress.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Congress </a>president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday used World Environment Day to launch a sharp attack on the <a href="https://www.pmindia.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Modi government,</a> alleging it is dismantling forests and weakening India’s environmental governance framework.



In a post on X, Kharge claimed natural forests are being steadily eroded while the government uses “manipulated definitions and selective accounting” to project an illusion of progress.



He alleged that nearly 1,91,922 hectares of forest have been cleared in the last 11 years and over 1.6 crore trees destroyed since 2014.



Kharge highlighted specific projects: the Great Nicobar project threatening nearly 10 lakh trees, mining in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh’s Hasdeo Arand felling lakhs more, and highway expansions in multiple states destroying additional forest cover.



He criticised the India State of Forest Report for including plantations, orchards and commercial tree cover in “forest cover” figures, arguing this masks the loss of dense, biodiverse natural forests.



“This government has weakened and dismantled India’s environmental governance framework built over decades,” Kharge said.



He credited earlier Congress-led governments with creating key laws such as the Wildlife Protection Act, Forest Conservation Act, Forest Rights Act and the National Green Tribunal, which he said the current government has diluted through faster clearances and regulatory relaxations.



Kharge called for environmental policy based on rule of law, community participation and recognition that ecological protection and development are interconnected.

Kharge accuses Modi govt of dismantling forests on World Environment Day

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday marked World Environment Day by highlighting how his government’s initiatives over the past decade have driven expanding green cover and boosted populations of several animal species across India.



In a post on X, Modi applauded citizens’ collective efforts, backed by science, innovation and policy, in improving the environment. He described the day as a reminder to reaffirm commitment to sustainable growth and environmental protection.



“Some of India’s key successes include expanding green cover and a rise in the population of several animals,” Modi said.



The <a href="https://www.pmindia.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prime Minister</a> pointed to notable conservation achievements, including recovery programmes for the Great Indian Bustard, snow leopards, sloth bears and cheetahs. He also credited the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative with adding nearly 119,000 hectares of forest cover annually.



Guided by the principle of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’, the government will continue its Mission LiFE efforts toward a cleaner, greener and more sustainable planet, he added.



World Environment Day, observed annually on June 5, was established by the<a href="https://www.unep.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> United Nations Environment Programme </a>in 1973 and remains one of the largest global platforms for environmental awareness. Azerbaijan is hosting the 2026 celebrations.

PM Modi highlights India&#8217;s green cover expansion on World Environment Day

<a href="https://www.soschildrensvillages.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SOS Children’s Villages India</a> has launched a nationwide sapling plantation drive, planting more than 5,000 saplings to mark <a href="https://www.unep.org/events/world-environment-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Environment Day</a>, engaging children, caregivers, and local communities in environmental conservation efforts.



The initiative, aligned with this year’s theme “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future,” spans 32 SOS Children’s Villages and multiple Family Strengthening Programme locations from Jammu &amp; Kashmir to Tamil Nadu and Gujarat to Assam.



The plantations include a mix of fruit-bearing, medicinal, native, and climate-resilient species such as neem, moringa, mango, gooseberry, guava, lemon, jackfruit, and custard apple.



“Environmental sustainability is closely linked to child well-being and community resilience. Through this plantation drive, we aim to contribute to a greener future,” said Sumanta Kar, CEO, SOS Children’s Villages India.



He added that every sapling planted represents a commitment to future generations and a healthier planet.



Latur recorded the highest number with over 2,000 saplings, while Shillong focused on medicinal and wild edible species through partnerships with local stakeholders. Several locations prioritised fruit-bearing and indigenous varieties to support both ecological restoration and community well-being.



SOS Children’s Villages India has partnered with local institutions and government bodies to enhance community participation in this World Environment Day initiative.

SOS India launches massive tree plantation for World Environment Day

Environmental challenges spanning waste management, agriculture, and clean technology are creating significant opportunities for India&#8217;s circular economy, according to Suranjana Ghosh, Head of <a href="https://maricoinnovationfoundation.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marico Innovation Foundation.</a>



India generates an estimated 350 million tonnes of agricultural waste annually, much of which holds substantial industrial and economic potential if converted into valuable resources rather than discarded.



“Environmental challenges today are increasingly interconnected&#8230; Across sectors, we are seeing growing evidence that environmental challenges can be addressed through practical solutions,” Ghosh said.



She emphasised that sustainability is now viewed as an opportunity to create economic value, citing innovations that convert crop residue into sustainable materials, fuels, and industrial inputs, alongside waste-to-value technologies that strengthen recycling ecosystems.



“More than innovation itself, the challenge today is creating the right conditions for adoption. Access to markets, industry partnerships and implementation support will be critical,” Ghosh added.



As <a href="https://www.unep.org/events/world-environment-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Environment Day 2026</a> focuses on climate action, Ghosh called for translating innovation into measurable outcomes to build a USD 2 trillion circular economy that could generate 10 million jobs by 2050.



“India does not lack innovative solutions&#8230; the focus must be on translating innovation into measurable outcomes that strengthen circularity, improve resource efficiency, and create long-term impact,” she said.