U.S-based EcoSikh plants 850 sacred forests ahead of COP28

The sacred forests, which are named after "Guru Nanak," help to restore the local ecological balance in cities and urban areas by attracting biodiversity within months.

10 month-old forest in Ludhiana by EcoSikh in collaboration with Prime Steel Industry. / EcoSikh

In the run-up to the United Nations Climate Summit COP28, the Washington, DC-based environmental group, EcoSikh has completed planting 850 sacred forests.

In the middle of the industrial city of Ludhiana in India, which is also grappling with serious environmental challenges, EcoSikh planted its 850th sacred forest of 1,313 trees on Monday, which coincided with the birth- anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith.

“EcoSikh plants sacred forests throughout India using Miyawaki methodology. These sacred forests are named after ‘Guru Nanak’. They attract biodiversity within months and helps restore the local ecological imbalance in cities and urban areas. So far, 850 Guru Nanak Sacred Forests have been planted and each forest has 550 trees of native species, “ a statement from the organization said.

At the COP28 UAE meeting in Dubai, EcoSikh will showcase its achievements and future plans to various stakeholders. The group’s global president, Dr. Rajwant Singh will be showcasing the Sacred Forest initiative as an effective climate solution for ecological restoration and will offer collaboration with governmental organizations and faith groups, the release stated.

Singh has been invited by COP28 CEO, Adnan Z. Amin to address a panel titled Urban Wisdom: Indigenous knowledge and governance of future cities.' "We all need to take action urgently in response to devastating rising temperatures. We cannot wait for some entity or government to find solutions to the ecological disasters we are facing all around us now. Many communities are loosing their ancestral lands due to several environmental factors beyond their control. We cannot sit and watch while people are suffering due to catastrophe,”Singh said.

He added, "As faith communities, it is our moral duty to do something. If the world does not take action today, we may not have any other chance to avert the disaster that is coming upon us”. As of now, EcoSikh has planted over 500,000 trees in India and 25,000 trees worldwide.

Dr. Rajwant Singh with COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber

Charan Singh, EcoSikh's forest convener, who will also attend COP28 to explore partnerships with various governmental and non-governmental entities, said, “Our strategy to fight climate change should not only be focused on emission reduction. We need to remove carbon from the atmosphere. Sacred Forests is one effective way to achieve that goal. Mass action of such kind can help control the rising temperatures."

He added, “EcoSikh has been training young people to become forest makers. Our project has galvanized the youth of Punjab, India, and volunteers at grassroots levels are growing each day and people are feeling empowered that they can make a difference.”

"Everyone can plant a forest in their backyard, school, college or at their own religious place. This is a collective and solid step to fight climate change. EcoSikh offers this knowledge and handholding to everyone. We are open to collaborate with all the faith groups to create 1000s of Sacred Forests,” Charan Singh further explained.

As a response to climate change, the Sikh community established EcoSikh in 2009 in partnership with the UN Development Program. After more than a decade of environmental activism in India, EcoSikh has expanded to include chapters in the US, Canada, the UK, and Ireland.

On issues of sustainable development and climate change, it has spoken on behalf of the Sikh community on a number of national and international stages. The White House, the UN, and the World Economic Forum have all extended invitations and are collaborating with it. EcoSikhs have committed to planting one million trees in 2019 in observance of Guru Nanak's 550th birthday.