2025-03-04

St. Teresa's College (Autonomous), Ernakulam, has successfully launched an ISO-standard Green Audit, reinforcing its commitment to sustainability across campus. While the audit is designed to support NAAC accreditation, its comprehensive scope—covering environmental sustainability, water resource management, biodiversity conservation, occupational health and safety, carbon footprint analysis, and energy efficiency—makes it suitable for other national and international accreditations and awards.

A key milestone of the initiative was the formal signing of a MoU between St. Teresa’s College and the Tropical Institute of Ecological Sciences (TIES) to conduct the audit and implement sustainability programs. The MoU was signed by Dr. Alphonsa Vijaya Joseph, Principal of St. Teresa’s College, and Dr. Punnen Kurian, Director of TIES. The event was attended by Rev. Sr. Tessa, CSST (Director), Sajimol Augustine (Senior Administrator & Former Principal), Dr. Sajitha Kurup (IQAC Coordinator), Dr. Pearly Antony O. (SQAC Coordinator), Dr. Arya P. Mohan (BMC Coordinator), and Dr. Priya Parvathi Ameesha Jose (Coordinator of Infrastructure Development).

Following the signing ceremony, a day-long training session on internal auditing procedures was conducted for selected faculty and students. The session was led by Dr. Punnen Kurian and Abhirami K. P. (Project Manager, TIES). Later, the Environment Management System (EMS) Coordinator presented a structured execution plan, emphasizing the EMS’s role in ensuring effective administration across various departments.

The program concluded with a full-fledged EMS committee meeting, during which key subcommittees were formed, responsibilities were defined, and broad guidelines for effective audit implementation were established. This collaborative initiative marks a significant step towards comprehensive environmental assessment and sustainable campus development at St. Teresa's College.