The Cochin International Airport in India has been selected for the Champion of Earth Prize 2018, the highest environmental honour that is given by the United Nations.
What is the award? The UN started the Champion of Earth award in 2005 to recognise individual and organisations who do exceptional work in the field of environment and to inspire others to follow them.
Why has an airport won this award? The Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) is the first in the world to run completely on electricity generated by solar power. It has been running in this manner since August, 2015. In the official letter sent to them by the UN, it was said that ‘…As the world’s first fully solar powered airport, you set an ambitious example that we hope many others will follow.’
Mr. V. J Kurien, the main man behind this move, says that by September 2018 the airport will be saving approximately ₹40 crores per year. Also their carbon emissions will reduce so much over the next 25 years that it will be equivalent to ‘planting 90 lakh trees or not driving 2,400 million miles’
The award will be given to them at a gala ceremony held in New York on September 26, 2018.
Interesting to know… To make the best use of the land, CIAL has created an organic vegetable farm in the area between the solar panels!
Adapted from – The Hindu (https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/cial-wins-uns-highest-environmental-honour/article24524222.ece) by Preetika Soni
Preetika is a freelance content writer and transcriptionist. Her interests are photography, crochet, and finding answers for her 3 year old son’s ‘But Why’ questions.
