After spending 38 years working in the upstream oil &amp; gas industry, Vijayakumar Kidambi pivoted into sustainability work, with involvement in Forests by Heartfulness activities. Vijay has been a Heartfulness practitioner for more than 35 years and a trainer for 18 years.

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Vijayakumar Kidambi

<h4>The Carbon Net Zero Campus initiative combines renewable energy, water and waste management, ecological restoration, and community participation to turn schools into living laboratories for sustainability.</h4><h4>BY VIJAYAKUMAR KIDAMBI</h4>When Forests by Heartfulness launched its Carbon Net Zero Campus initiative in May 2026 in India alongside the Government of Andhra Pradesh, it committed to two goals: to transform hundreds of Welfare Residential Institutions into carbon-neutral and biodiversity-rich campuses; and to nurture generations of sustainability champions by turning the campuses themselves into places of environmental learning.When designing the end-to-end process for Carbon Net Zero Campus, Forests by Heartfulness ensured the local community would support ongoing campus maintenance. In July 2026, over 400 participants—including local and government officials—took part in a Train the Trainer program to begin eco-management of local campuses. This approach lets neighbors work together to keep campuses green while giving more people the chance to deepen their knowledge of climate and sustainability.<h2 style="text-align:justify;">The carbon problem</h2>Creating local sustainability experts began by clarifying the why and the how: why rising carbon emissions are a critical problem and how net-zero carbon campuses offer a positive solution.&nbsp;Global temperatures and sea levels are rising, biodiversity is declining, food and water security are under increasing pressure, and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. These issues are all exacerbated by carbon emissions, which are produced by industry and power plants, transportation, buildings, waste management, and fugitive emissions from fossil fuels. &nbsp;While each issue seems immense, many practical solutions are already within reach.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">&nbsp;</h4><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Chat_GPT_Image_Oct_1_2026_07_36_11_PM_c307f4bc9e.webp" alt="ChatGPT Image Oct 1, 2026, 07_36_11 PM.webp"></figure>&nbsp;<h2 style="text-align:justify;">Capacity building and community engagement</h2>Each campus in the Carbon Net Zero Campus initiative is designated a Living Laboratory, where students and faculty members take a hands-on role in campus sustainability and maintenance. Forests by Heartfulness has set up a four-tier engagement framework that allows all members of a campus community to be actively involved in biodiversity maintenance:<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:15.21%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/students_icon_6686de152a.webp" alt="students-icon.webp"></figure>Students:&nbsp; learn net-zero and sustainable practices,&nbsp; participate in hands-on projects,&nbsp; and develop environmental responsibility&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:15.27%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/classroom_icon_289e898c99.webp" alt="classroom-icon.webp"></figure>Classrooms:&nbsp; integrate sustainability into subjects and&nbsp; encourage peer and project-based learning<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:15.2%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/principal_teachers_icon_dbd5e8ca29.webp" alt="principal-teachers-icon.webp"></figure>Principals and teachers:&nbsp; establish policies and green campus practices&nbsp; and monitor their implementation<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:15.42%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/community_icon_77ca10536f.webp" alt="community-icon.webp"></figure>Community:&nbsp; extends knowledge and sustainability culture&nbsp; beyond the campus and into the&nbsp; local community and economyThe Living Laboratory model extends across five areas of campus life: energy, rainwater harvesting, wastewater management, solid waste, and biodiversity.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/04_Living_Laboratory_Infographic_8c7c3e976e.webp" alt="04_Living_Laboratory_Infographic.webp"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Energy independence</h4>In just one hour, the sun provides enough energy to meet the world’s energy needs for a full year. &nbsp;Solar energy is one of the most practical ways for campuses to reduce their dependence on fossil-fuel-based electricity.<ul style="list-style-type:disc;"><li style="text-align:justify;">Solar energy is essential in combating climate change for several reasons:</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Grid electricity largely comes from fossil fuels like coal&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">As schools adopt digital learning, electricity demand increases&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Higher electricity costs leave fewer resources available for education</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Every unit of grid electricity used adds to a school’s carbon footprint</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Solar lowers costs, reduces emissions, and supports net-zero campuses</li></ul>Forests by Heartfulness addresses these needs through rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and metering systems.<hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Rainwater harvesting and wastewater recycling&nbsp;</h4>When captured, stored, and recharged correctly, harvested rainwater provides several environmental, financial, and biological benefits, including greater water security through reduced dependence on tankers and borewells, groundwater recharge, flood and waterlogging control, resource recovery to support gardens and planting, and overall climate resilience.To capture sufficient rainwater, Forests by Heartfulness employs three methods:&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:25%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/rooftop_icon_6785428c53.webp" alt="rooftop-icon.webp"></figure>Rooftop harvesting: rainwater that flows from building roofs through gutters or pipes to storage tanks or recharge structures&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/surface_runoff_icon_c2adb7d3f1.webp" alt="surface-runoff-icon.webp"></figure>Surface runoff harvesting: rainwater from open campus surfaces directed into percolation pits, trenches, or ponds&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/storage_icon_d21f728607.webp" alt="storage-icon.webp"></figure>Storage and recharge: captured water is stored for non-potable use or sent to recharge structures to replenish groundwater&nbsp;<hr><h4>Graywater and blackwater management&nbsp;</h4>Many schools use freshwater for drinking, sanitation, kitchens and hostels, landscaping, and other essential needs. On many rural campuses, the resulting wastewater includes graywater and blackwater, which can contaminate groundwater, cause stagnant water, and pose health risks if not properly managed.Forests by Heartfulness uses a unique treatment process that treats graywater and blackwater and safely reuses them for potable and non-potable uses or discharges them safely. The treatment process includes four stages:<ul><li>Primary Treatment: septic and biological action</li><li>Secondary Treatment: dissolved air flotation</li><li>Advanced Filtration: reverse osmosis and ultraviolet (UV) treatment</li><li>Recovery and Use: recycled water for parks and landscaping, with dissolved oxygen progressively increased and pollutants removed until the water is safe for reuse.</li></ul><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Solar_Powered_Campus_by_the_Pond_96dbf6d926.webp" alt="Solar-Powered Campus by the Pond.webp"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Solid waste management and circular economy</h4>Each day, a school can generate 45–50 kg of solid waste, including food and kitchen waste, paper and plastic, sanitary waste, and garden waste.When this waste is not properly managed, it can contribute to water and air pollution, mosquito and fly infestations, unpleasant odors, and other environmental problems.Forests by Heartfulness uses a four-bin system:<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Four_Bin_Recycling_Guide_fbb82aacb1.webp" alt="Four-Bin Recycling Guide.webp"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Greening of unused spaces</h4>One of the main goals of the Carbon Net Zero Campus initiative is to move beyond conventional tree planting and adopt a scientific, site-specific approach by planting native and indigenous species that support local land, soil, water, and climate conditions.&nbsp;With this approach, climate advocates empathize with the native land and understand the biodiversity it needs to thrive for generations to come.The planting strategy combines several complementary approaches:&nbsp;<ul><li style="text-align:justify;">Ultra-High-Density Planting: dense, forest-like native plantings for carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and microclimate benefits&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Periphery Plantation: boundary planting as windbreak, shade, dust/noise barrier&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Fruit and High-Value Timber Plantation: food, biomass, carbon capture, future timber&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Avenue Trees: shaded walkways along paths and roads&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Herbal Garden: Indian medicinal plants for education and health value&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Mosquito-Repellent and Immunity-Boosting Garden: hygiene and air quality&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Pollinator Garden: flowering plants supporting bees and pollination&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Butterfly Garden: entrance plantings for biodiversity and aesthetics</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Nutrition and Vegetable Garden: hands-on food-growing experience for students</li></ul><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Six_Sustainable_Garden_Landscapes_fbdc8dec5d.webp" alt="Six Sustainable Garden Landscapes.webp"></figure><hr><h2 style="text-align:justify;">The solution is in our hands</h2>The Forests by Heartfulness team is applying these solutions across selected campuses within the Carbon Net Zero Campus initiative, encouraging students, teachers, and local community members to reflect on easy steps they can take and share with others to reduce the harmful impacts of continued carbon emissions.By involving local communities in making campuses more sustainable, we are reminded how essential, and how easy, it is to work together to create tangible, long-term, sustainable change.&nbsp;<hr>FROM FORESTS BY HEARTFULNESSForests by Heartfulness nurtures and protects native, endemic, and endangered plant species through expert-guided nurseries, plantation drives, long-term monitoring, and community participation.<a href="https://heartfulness.org/forests" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">heartfulness.org/forests</a><hr>REFERENCES:<ol style="list-style-type:decimal;"><li>Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, “Summary for Policymakers,” in Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report, ed. H. Lee and J. Romero (Geneva: IPCC, 2023), 1–34, https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/summary-for-policymakers/; Shobhakar Dhakal et al., “Emissions Trends and Drivers,” in Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change, ed. P. R. Shukla et al. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022), 215–294, <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/chapter/chapter-2/.">https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/chapter/chapter-2/.</a></li><li>U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, “DOE Explains…Solar Fuels,” accessed August 26, 2026, <a href="https://www.energy.gov/science/doe-explainssolar-fuels.">https://www.energy.gov/science/doe-explainssolar-fuels.</a></li><li>Central Electricity Authority, CO2 Baseline Database for the Indian Power Sector: User Guide, Version 21.0 (New Delhi: Government of India, Ministry of Power, November 2025), 1–2, https://cea.nic.in/wp-content/uploads/baseline/2025/12/User_Guide_V_21.0.pdf. &nbsp;</li></ol>

The Carbon Solution Is in Our Hands

<h4>How Forests by Heartfulness is helping campuses across Andhra Pradesh become living classrooms for sustainability.</h4><h4>BY VIJAYAKUMAR KIDAMBI</h4>On World Environment Day 2026, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu planted a sapling at Andhra University in Visakhapatnam, marking the launch of a partnership between the Government of Andhra Pradesh and Forests by Heartfulness. The initiative aims to transform 1,047 welfare residential schools and junior colleges into carbon-neutral, biodiversity-rich campuses, while offering students the opportunity to experience sustainability as part of daily school life.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Carbon_Neutral1_8ebb66ec7f.webp" alt="See how Forests by Heartfulness is creating carbon-neutral campuses with solar, water and forests."></figure>&nbsp;Central to the greening of these campuses is a high-density afforestation model intended to establish thriving, layered ecosystems more quickly, transforming bare or underused land into biodiverse spaces with measurably cooler microclimates.Established through a signed memorandum of understanding with the Social Welfare Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, in May 2026, the project advances both the Government of Andhra Pradesh and Heartfulness toward their shared goal of a greener, more sustainable home for humanity. The project aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action, India’s commitment to reach net zero by 2070, and Andhra Pradesh’s Swarnandhra vision of net-zero emissions by 2047. The Forests by Heartfulness team developed the project’s end-to-end framework—covering energy, water, waste, green cover, and sustainability.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/carbon_neutral_infographic_d8df7a6b4f.jpg" alt="carbon-neutral-infographic.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;The commitment to net-zero campuses spans 1,047 institutions across 28 districts of Andhra Pradesh in the first phase and will reach more than 300,000 students across the state’s welfare residential system. Together, these institutions generate an estimated 47,500 metric tons of Scope 1 and 2 carbon dioxide equivalent emissions each year. The project’s six planned interventions have a projected offset potential of roughly 48,000 metric tons annually and include:<ul><li>Rooftop solar power</li><li>Rainwater harvesting and wastewater recycling&nbsp;</li><li>Solid-waste management and circular-economy practices&nbsp;</li><li>Energy monitoring and more efficient lighting and fans&nbsp;</li><li>High-density mini-forests, medicinal tree gardens, and kitchen gardens&nbsp;</li><li>Training and community engagement</li></ul>The project also preserves the decades-old trees already on campus, whose carbon-absorbing work has largely gone unnoticed.Data and progress are tracked using AI to derive insights automatically from drone survey data.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Carbon_Neutral2_831843be62.webp" alt="Carbon-Neutral2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;Alongside its environmental goals, the project has an educational purpose. Students will encounter solar energy, water conservation, waste reduction, and biodiversity in daily campus life. The campus itself can therefore become a place where environmental responsibility is practiced as well as taught.Daaji, the global guide of Heartfulness, teaches that care for the environment follows naturally from care for oneself: as the heart expands, care extends from the self to all creation.Students are central to the project’s long-term value. Through experiential learning, participation, and institutional support, the campuses can become active centers of environmental awareness and climate action.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Carbon_Neutral3_8eb4e4668c.webp" alt="Carbon-Neutral3.webp">&nbsp;By taking part in these initiatives while in school, students can develop habits of environmental stewardship that extend into their communities and future work. Lower emissions and richer biodiversity will change campuses; the experience of helping create those changes may stay with students long after graduation.&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;FROM FORESTS BY HEARTFULNESSForests by Heartfulness nurtures and protects native, endemic, and endangered plant species through expert-guided nurseries, plantation drives, long-term monitoring, and community participation.<a href="https://heartfulness.org/forests/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">heartfulness.org/forests</a>