Karuna A.

Singh
Country Director – India, Earth Day Network

Ms Singh heads the India operations for Earth Day Network, a global,
environmental NGO.

Growing out of the first Earth Day (April 22, 1970), Earth Day
Network works today with over 22,000 partners in 192 countries to
broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement. More
than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each
year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.

Earth Day Network’s India office opened in 2010. Under Ms Singh’s leadership, programs
are held around the year, with an estimated outreach to some 35 million people. A major
part of the campaigns are youth-oriented. In Kolkata alone, Earth Day Network India has
conducted ‘Earth Reel’ – an environmental film-making competition for students, GEMS
(Green Environment Monitors), a program to build environmental citizenship in partnership
with the National Council of Science Museums; and ‘Backseat Buddies’, a campaign in
schools that aims to help reduce traffic jams, air pollution, etc by encouraging students to
car share as they travel to and from their places of learning.

Ms Singh joined Earth Day Network after a 24-year career with the US Consulate at Kolkata.
A senior executive with them, her major portfolio focus was on environmental affairs. She
organized seminars with environmental experts, workshops, film screenings, and other
events to build awareness about climate change and other environmental issues among a
wide spectrum of audiences, from senior-level policy makers to grassroots NGOs. Ms Singh
worked to inspire youth to work for the environment, and organized special media events
on environmental reporting. Ms Singh also helped put together cross-border programs on
subjects such as Coastal Zone Management. Her work area covered 12 states of eastern and
northeaster India.

Ms Singh is one of a small group of persons trained by former U.S. Vice President and Nobel
Laureate Al Gore to make presentations on climate change issues. Ms Singh has also been
invited to be a Member of the National Steering Committee of the Global Environment
Facility/UNDP/Government of India Ministry of Environment and Forests Small Grant
Program and to Chair the Committee for the North East Region of India.