The Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal concluded its three-day annual business fest “Coalescence 24: Climate Dash to Net Zero” on Saturday.
The valedictory ceremony was honoured by the presence of Jitendra Kumar, Director General and Special Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, who graced the occasion as the chief guest. Additionally, K.B Singh, Inspector General Forest; Aseem Srivastava, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Forces, Madhya Pradesh; and Dr. K Ravichandran, Director of the Indian Institute of Forest Management, presided over the event.
This year's theme of the event, held between February 22 to 24, was 'Climate Dash to Net Zero'. This three-day event was attended by participants from prestigious institutes from different states of the country, including students from IIM Indore, IIM Udaipur, MDI Gurgaon, KJ Somaiya, Goa Institute of Management, MANIT etc. In his address to the participants, Jitendra Kumar emphasized the significance of "LiFE - Lifestyle for Environment," highlighting India's leadership in climate change mitigation and adoption on a global scale.
He expressed confidence in the country's efforts, stating, "We are leading the world, putting forth our best possible endeavours to mitigate climate change."Furthermore, he underscored the purpose of the conclave in shaping young business leaders, emphasizing the necessity for net-zero economic development and sustainable growth. He encouraged attendees to leverage the insights gained from the thought-provoking competitions, emphasizing the importance of implementing the Mission LiFE themes in their lives.
Kumar emphasized the collective responsibility, stating, "With the collective efforts of each of us, we can achieve our vision of Net-Zero Economy Development."In his closing remarks, Dr. Ravichandran characterized this conclave as an invaluable platform for students to engage with peers from other esteemed institutes, emphasizing the creation of networks and the understanding of pressing issues through these connections.
He appealed to the students to embrace new opportunities and cultivate their entrepreneurial spirit. He appeal to students, urging them to embrace the principles of Mission LiFE and to concentrate on the seven vital themes of LiFE, integrating them into their daily lives to reduce their carbon footprint effectively.
The concluding day commenced with Leadership Talk 3.0, featuring insights from Dr. Yogendra Saxena, Former Group Chief Sustainability Officer at Tata Power. Subsequently, a panel discussion titled "Towards Net-Zero Emission Pathways using the Circular Economy Framework" was led by notable figures including Mr. Nitin Mishra, Founder of Sustainovate Climate Solutions; Ms. Shobha Raghavan, Chief Operations Officer at Saahas Zero Waste; and Mr. Souvik Bhattacharjya, Associate Director & Senior Fellow at TERI. The final competition, Managerial Maestro, provided a platform for students to demonstrate their exceptional managerial skills and talents.This three-day Cocalescence 24: Climate Dash Way to Net Zero concluded with the prize distribution ceremony in which IIM, Indore secured the first position. While National Institute of Securities Markets and the National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM) secured second and third positions respectively.
