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With Rs 1,000 and the encouragement of "two Fs — family and friends” the Centre for Environmental Research and Education (CERE) was founded in August 2002 by environmentalist Dr Rashneh Pardiwala along with Kitayun Rustom of Dahanu. It took till December 13, 2002 for them to receive the registration certificate, Pardiwala informed around 100 well-wishers who had assembled on December 30 last year at the Saher Agiary to celebrate the foundation’s 20th anniversary. "This is not an occasion either for fundraising or marketing. It is a time to thank the small group that has banded around us,” she reiterated.
"Everyone has carbon footprints,” Pardiwala stated in her welcome address. It is best to measure these, as did the IndusInd and HDFC Banks, Tata Capital and several other corporates. On behalf of its clients CERE has planted 2,50,000 trees in 26 cities — of which 214 are native species. By doing this, 55,000 tons of carbon have been sequestered.
Among CERE’s projects are a native bio-diversity garden in Alibaug for the Shapoorji Pallonji Group (see "Ecological Eden,” Parsiana, October 21, 2016), a butterfly garden for Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, and intervention in Doongerwadi (see "This last green lung,” Parsiana, February 7-20, 2021), Masina Hospital and locations like Adenwala Baug — all in Bombay.
To harness clean energy, the foundation set up solar powered Automated Teller Machines for IndusInd Bank way back in 2009. A solar forest, Surya Aranya, was created in 2014 for Tata Capital (see "Forest of the sun,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, February 21, 2014). Convinced that solar energy is the way forward, CERE’s zeal has resulted in the installing of solar power in 40 institutions.
The foundation’s first rainwater harvesting project was in Dahanu in 2006. The well in Malcolm Baug, Jogeshwari was dredged and re-opened, as was another on the police grounds in Naigaon. In partnership with the Maharashtra Police Department, CERE has created the largest rainwater harvest systems in Bombay, Poona and Nasik. Even the venue of the evening, is one of their clients for rainwater harvesting!
Originally, Rustom and Pardiwala had fiercely opposed rampant development in Dahanu till the work was stopped.
Pardiwala completed her doctorate in Environmental Management and Protection from Edinburgh University in Scotland from where she had earlier obtained her master’s degree in the same subject. CERE was started in a tiny room in the municipal G. S. School at Grant Road. The founders took pains to assemble a board of trustees for their nongovernmental organization (NGO) "whom you could trust with your life.” In addition to Pardiwala’s father, Noshir, they sought equally dedicated people like Dr Feroza Panday, Elizabeth Virkar and Sheba Thomas. The two founders are also trustees.
Pardiwala concluded her talk by praising young researchers who have chosen to be change-makers with CERE, rather than pursuing well-paid corporate jobs. Prashant Kadam, who has been with them for 17 years, is the oldest employee. Starting as an office boy, he is now occupying an administrative post. Pardiwala also lauded Dilip Kapadia who oversees finance and accounts — a difficult task as the foundation is scrupulously compliant with income tax protocol. Committed environmentalist Janjri Jasani came on board in 2006.
Convinced that education is the way forward in teaching environmental issues, CERE has published a reader series. Another initiative was a road trip around the country in a donated second-hand Tata Safari vehicle — "I single-handedly drove over 100,000 kms across 21 states of India in 2003-2004 to document ‘Successful Models of Environmental Education in India,’” said Pardiwala (see "To the land of high passes,” Parsiana, October 21, 2009).  On the trip they conducted about 2,300 workshops in small, medium and large towns. For this herculean effort, and their work for environmental sustainability, the two go-getters received the Ashoka Award for Social Entrepreneurs 2004.
They see a continuation in their pioneering work through education. For this, they have published 27 titles and created six e-learning modules. When they ran out of printed copies of the books, The J. B. Petit High School for Girls photocopied them for use. "The bedrock of CERE is documenting successful models of environmental education across India,” Pardiwala stressed.
Their passion is to promote environmental sustainability, awareness of the carbon footprint, solar energy, urban afforestation, rainwater harvesting and environmental education. This holistic approach has helped with carbon mapping and capping for 18 companies as well as 22 disclosures and sustainability reports with eight support certifications to facilitate accreditation of positive environment assurances.
CERE is a firm believer in the partnership model which their ethic says is the only way to solve environmental problems.