Earth Day Network’s Asia head Karuna Singh to grace Sambad CEO Conlave

Bhubaneswar: The stage is set for the 2024 edition of the Sambad CEO Conclave on June 14 in the State Capital, the first of its kind event in Odisha.

Among various dignitaries participating this year is Karuna Singh, Regional Director (Asia) and Country Director for India of Earth Day Network (EDN).

Touted to be the world’s largest environmental movement, the EDN was born on April 22 in 1970 on the occasion of the first Earth Day. Almost five decades later, it has partnered with over 50,000 associations in 190 countries to raise awareness on the environment in these regions.

As the regional head, Karuna oversees EDN’s activities in close to 25 countries in South and South-East Asia. She has facilitated growth of EDN by joining hands with various stakeholder organisations and works to raise awareness at grassroots level.

She has also several e-books on environmental issues and path to greener economies, to her credit.

This year’s theme ‘Planet versus Plastics’ will revolve around the perils of plastic usage and devising of biodegradable options along with plastic waste management.

In India, under Singh’s aegis, programs are conducted across the length and breadth of the country with Earth Day events alone reaching over 35 million people.

Karuna is called upon to makes presentations at global forums as well which includes 2015 UN Conference of Parties 21.

Karuna was lead presenter at a meeting of embassy heads in Bangkok on ways to help the city grow more environment-friendly. She was also invited to speak at the ASEAN Seminar held at Nu Py Du on invitation of the Government of Myanmar.

Karuna is one of six NGO representatives from across the world chosen to make a presentation to the then UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

She is known to reach out to stakeholders to form partnerships, and develop specially crafted programs and campaigns that are of particular relevance to not just a country, but a region as well.

Karuna has been on the steering committee for India of the Global Environment Facility, UNDP and the Government of India Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s Small Grant Program. She was invited by the Asia Pacific Network for Global Change Research, Japan to provide expert advice to develop a South Asian hub for collaborative research and capacity building toward climate preparedness and change management.

Karuna came to EDN after a 24-year career with the US State Department in Kolkata.