Green Future Leaders Meet: Small Steps, Big Impact

It was September 27th, 2024, at 4:45 PM, at Karma Lakelands in Manesar (near Gurgaon). I sat in my car reflecting on the “Green Future Leaders Meet” we had just concluded. The event brought together around 90 like-minded individuals focused upon sustainability and wrapped up after eight hours of engaging discussions.

My thoughts drifted back to late April 2024, when this idea was just taking shape. I had been working on my passion project, collaborating with Impact Creators (thanks to Navyug Mohnot ‘s DYL workshop last year, which had led to this realization – more on this in future blogs), and Ashwani Khurana, the CEO (Chief Eternal Optimist, as he likes to be called) of Karma Lakelands, was the first person I had the opportunity to work with. His vision that “humanity can prosper when in harmony with nature” left a lasting impression on me and sparked my interest in working with him and his team.

As part of the project, I collaborated on the sustainability practices at Karma Lakelands with Sandeep Trehan (COO, Karma Lakelands) and Diki Bhutia (Director, Environmental Sustainability). We signed MOUs with nine sustainability partner organizations to amplify the impact of Karma Lakelands’ sustainability initiatives.

The idea emerged to bring these partners together for a meetup, fostering collaboration and mutual growth. I had learned early on in my coaching journey that real networking (thanks to Paritosh Pathak) is about giving and creating value—this was my opportunity to add value to my client’s partners.

We initially estimated 30 to 50 participants, but the event’s theme, “Create Green Future, Now,” inspired more. It encouraged participants to take immediate, tangible actions, driving impactful progress in their sustainability journeys.

As I sipped water in my car, I reflected on how it had taken us 5 months to turn this dream into reality.

Lesson learned: Small, consistent steps are key to making a dream come true, especially when it serves a larger cause.

In the morning, at 7:30 AM, the registration desk was set up outside the main hall. Being considerate of the environment, participants received a jute bag containing a filled water bottle, reused lanyards with handwritten name tags (which could later be used as bookmarks), a book titled How to Grow Fresh Air by Barun Aggarwal, a notepad, and a jar of honey from local bee farming. The partners also set up display tables.

The event kicked off at 8:00 AM, with Ritu Gupta graciously hosting the entire event and ensuring everything went as planned.

Rajeev Peshawaria, CEO of Stewardship Asia Centre, Singapore, joined us live from New York. Despite the late hour and his busy schedule with the World Economic Forum, he generously shared his insights. His book Sustainable Sustainability has been an eye-opener for me, and I was fortunate to receive a signed copy when I met him briefly in May 2024.

During his 45-minute talk, he emphasized Steward Leadership, defining it as “a genuine desire and persistence to create a collective better future for stakeholders, society, future generations, and the environment.”

His “Do Well by Doing Good” message resonated with me. He stressed that sustainability practices should have social or environmental impacts but must also positively affect the business to be truly sustainable. Everyone in the organization must live by the company’s vision and values—walking the talk

Lesson learned: To sustain sustainability practices in an organization, they must have social or environmental impacts and also generate business impacts, achieved by living and breathing the company’s core values.

Next, the dynamic Dinesh Chandra (CEO of Global Wellbeing Network), in his late 70s, took the stage. Despite his age, he exuded contagious energy. He’s now headed to Mount Everest Base Camp—amazing, isn’t it?

He introduced an Open Space Technology (OST) activity (you can read about it online), which encouraged all 80+ participants to step forward and lead discussions on sustainability topics they were passionate about (like water, earth, air, waste, and consciousness). Participants gathered in small groups to exchange ideas, fostering equal participation and meaningful conversations. This two-hour session, which included a working breakfast, undoubtedly sparked many new connections.

Lesson learned: Connections happen when everyone feels equal and engages in topics they care about.

Then we had a recorded 21-minute interview featuring Ritu, Ashwani, and H.E. Bawa Jain . H.E. Bawa Jain is the President of The Centre for Responsible Leadership and co-founder of the Religious Initiative at the World Economic Forum. You should watch his TEDx talk and learn about the incredible work he has done to unite religious leaders from across the globe.

His definition of Responsible Leadership is based on three key questions:

Are my decisions made with the present or the future in mind?

Are these decisions driven by conviction or convenience?

What impact will these decisions create—constructive or destructive?

I was struck by one of his statements, which he had shared with me during a call three weeks earlier, while I was coordinating the interview. He repeated it during the interview: “I love to work with people who fundamentally disagree with me.”  Isn’t that courageous? I had never heard anyone express this viewpoint before.

Lesson learned: A responsible leader should be open to understanding the other side’s point of view peacefully.

The next event was a panel discussion on Conscious Living, hosted by the young and vibrant Aakash Ranison / I’m A Climate Optimist author of the book – I’m a Climate Optimist. The panelists included Mr Rakesh Mathur from  RTSOI (Responsible Tourism Society of India), Coach Ravinder (Founding Partner at Pro-Fit Sports), and Ms Sananda from Scottish High School. They discussed approaches toward consciousness in tourism, consciousness in sports, and consciousness in education.

Group Captain Professor SN Mishra , a visiting professor at the TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) School of Advanced Studies, presented the TERI report on Karma Lakelands’ carbon footprint, following a 7-month study conducted by two climate interns. The report revealed that Karma Lakelands’ carbon footprint was 1,410 tonnes.

Key milestones included meeting 20% of energy needs through solar power, achieving a 30% carbon sink by planting over 200,000 trees and enhancing the soil’s carbon sequestration abilities. These initiatives also led to a 59% increase in revenue, driven by higher villa sales and guest stays.

He also shared Karma Lakelands’ goal to achieve net zero in 4 to 6 years. His closing slide was a gem: “Zero is Hero.”

It was truly inspiring to hear from Ashwani later that, along with the net zero goal, all residents of the upcoming SOBHA Aranya residences at Karma Lakelands will be required to sign and commit to Environmental Sustainability Covenants. Isn’t that a remarkable example of prioritizing the creation of a conscious and responsible community?

Lesson learned: We must measure the work we do because “what gets measured gets done.” But we also need to be cautious, as Rajeev Peshawaria writes in his book: “What gets measured and rewarded often gets misused.”

Finally, after lunch, the eco-tour of Karma Lakelands, led by Peepal Baba (the founder of Give Me Trees Trust) and his team members, Ishtiyak Ahamad and Vineet Vohra began.

I’ve been following Peepal Baba for a year now—he has planted and conserved over 1.25 crore trees since he was 11 years old. He came across as humble, grounded, and a dedicated climate enthusiast. He joked that his head was spinning from hearing all the numbers and presentations on stage.

He brought us back to nature, taking us in golf carts to the Devkad Forest (3 acres) and the Biodiversity Park (5 acres), and showed us various farm animals and bee colonies. Ishtiyak passionately explained the bees’ role in the ecosystem and how a hive operates. We had already received fresh organic honey in the bags that morning. He also introduced us to different tree species in the forest.

Lesson learned: It’s amazing to see how nature fosters balance between predator and prey.

We concluded the day with a closing address by Ashwani and Diki at 4:00 PM (as planned), pledging to continue this journey.

 We patted each other on the back, especially Santosh, Diki, Sandeep, and Lalit, who worked behind the scenes to make this event happen.

As I got down from my car and arrived home that evening, I felt accomplished and satisfied. It had taken us 5 months of effort to bring 90 people together in 1 room for 8 hours of meaningful conversations, all focused on amplifying the impact of sustainability practices.

One of my key life lessons has proven itself once again:

“You Can Achieve Whatever You Want…”

Message me – we would love to hear your ideas, views, and perspectives—let’s build a greener future together.