Anna University launches PG diploma in climate change, sustainability for Green Fellows

Chennai: In what is described as a first-of-its-kind initiative, Tamil Nadu Minister V K Rajeev launched a postgraduate diploma in climate change and sustainability for the state's Green Fellows at Anna University here. The diploma programme is designed for young professionals selected under the Chief Minister's Green Fellowship Programme, a flagship initiative aimed at driving grassroots environmental action and climate policy implementation across Tamil Nadu's districts.

To deliver the technical curriculum, the state government has partnered with the Institute for Energy Studies at Anna University, a press release said. The multidisciplinary curriculum is built to bridge academic rigour with field experience. It covers climate science, carbon accounting, carbon markets, climate finance, clean energy technologies, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks, disaster risk reduction, climate-resilient urban planning, and pollution control technologies.

A core component of the programme is a mandatory project thesis, under which Green Fellows will address real-world climate and sustainability challenges, guided jointly by academic experts and government practitioners.

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The launch was attended by Additional Chief Secretary (Environment, Climate Change, and Forests) Supriya Sahu, Department of Environment and Climate Change Director Asha Ajith, and Anna University Registrar V Kumaresan, alongside CMGFP coordinators and faculty members.

The CMGFP currently deploys young leaders to work with district administrations, local communities, and state institutions to fast-track Tamil Nadu's green and climate-resilient development goals.