LAHORE: The Punjab government has scaled up its flagship Green School Certification Programme, an initiative aimed at embedding environmental responsibility among students and building a climate-resilient future.

The programme has witnessed widespread participation from both public and private educational institutions. Officials said 26,330 schools across 41 districts have formally pledged to adopt environmentally sustainable practices, with over 7.6 million students and teachers registered so far under the initiative.

The initiative is being led by the Environment Protection and Climate Change Department (EPCCD), with Secretary Silwat Saeed providing oversight and leadership.

The programme is structured around six thematic areas: air quality, water conservation, energy efficiency, waste management, environmental awareness, and plantation drives.Under these themes, schools are undertaking practical steps such as displaying daily air quality indices, promoting water-saving mechanisms, shifting to energy-efficient systems, banning single-use plastics, and initiating recycling and composting practices.

Plantation and biodiversity enhancement activities are also being carried out to improve green cover on the school premises.

According to official data, public sector institutions account for more than 80pc of participating schools, while thousands of private schools have also joined the initiative. The programme categorises institutions based on performance through a rigorous 100-point evaluation system, awarding one to five-star certifications to ensure accountability and measurable progress.

Awareness and outreach sessions have been conducted in major cities, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan and Faisalabad, where students, teachers and community members were sensitised to environmental challenges and solutions.The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with national and international partners, including Lahore University of Management Sciences, UNICEF and World Wide Fund for Nature.

Silwat Saeed said the initiative represented a transformative step towards institutionalising climate action within the education sector.

She emphasised that the programme is not merely a certification exercise but a long-term behavioural change strategy aimed at nurturing environmentally conscious citizens.

Ms Saeed noted that the involvement of teachers and communities was critical to the success of the initiative.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2026