At the core of the development sector lie stories of extraordinary courage, stories that rarely make headlines but quietly shape the future of communities. The Junoon Awards, named after the Hindi word for “passion,” were created to honour this spirit. Junoon recognises organisations that push boundaries, take risks for the larger good, and persist with resilience in the face of adversity. Over the years, the awards have highlighted different dimensions of commitment. The first edition, Junoon ’23, celebrated exceptional COVID-19 resilience, spotlighting those who worked in uncertainty and fear to support communities through a global crisis. The second edition, Junoon ’24, shifted focus to innovation, honouring organisations that reimagined systems and introduced fresh, transformative approaches to long-standing social challenges.
In its third edition, Junoon ’25 turns to one of the most urgent priorities of our time: Redefining Resilience—Climate Action for Lasting Change. As climate disruptions increasingly reshape lives and landscapes across India, the awards celebrate organisations that respond with courage rooted in community wisdom and long-term thinking. This year, the Roundglass Foundation stands out in the category of Innovative Climate Solutions, recognised for weaving conservation, culture, and climate resilience into a powerful model of people-led change.
At the core of the development sector lie stories of extraordinary courage, stories that rarely make headlines but quietly shape the future of communities. The Junoon Awards, named after the Hindi word for “passion,” were created to honour this spirit. Junoon recognises organisations that push boundaries, take risks for the larger good, and persist with resilience in the face of adversity. Over the years, the awards have highlighted different dimensions of commitment. The first edition, Junoon ’23, celebrated exceptional COVID-19 resilience, spotlighting those who worked in uncertainty and fear to support communities through a global crisis. The second edition, Junoon ’24, shifted focus to innovation, honouring organisations that reimagined systems and introduced fresh, transformative approaches to long-standing social challenges.
In its third edition, Junoon ’25 turns to one of the most urgent priorities of our time: Redefining Resilience—Climate Action for Lasting Change. As climate disruptions increasingly reshape lives and landscapes across India, the awards celebrate organisations that respond with courage rooted in community wisdom and long-term thinking. This year, the Roundglass Foundation stands out in the category of Innovative Climate Solutions, recognised for weaving conservation, culture, and climate resilience into a powerful model of people-led change.
Founded in 2018, Roundglass Foundation is a purpose-driven organisation dedicated to fostering Wholistic Wellbeing in rural Punjab by embedding environment & sustainability, youth development, and women’s equity into everyday village life. What began as a pilot in 20 villages has grown into a state-wide initiative across more than 2,900 villages, positively impacting the lives of over 2.5 million people through close partnerships with Gram Panchayats, schools, local communities, and government departments. The Foundation’s integrated programmes, including The Billion Tree Project, Waste Management Programme, Regenerative Agriculture, Learn Labs, Sports Centres, and Women’s Equity, nurture local leadership, create livelihood opportunities, and build long-term resilience across rural Punjab.
Punjab, once known as the food basket of India, now faces groundwater depletion, shrinking biodiversity, and increasing pollution arising from rapid urbanisation and intensive agriculture. Roundglass Foundation recognises that these complex challenges cannot be solved through isolated interventions and that environmental care must be woven into the daily routines, public spaces, and governance systems of villages. By working through established village institutions and community structures, the Foundation helps normalise climate-positive behaviours so that they are consistently practised, valued, and sustained over time.
Under the environment & sustainability thematic area, the work is realised through large-scale native tree plantations and Mini Forests under The Billion Tree Project, with 3.6 million native trees planted; village-level waste management systems in over 300 villages that collectively manage more than 70,000 tons of wet waste; and regenerative agriculture practices now adopted across 12,000 acres of farmland. Together, these initiatives have created 20,000 green jobs and strengthened livelihoods, deepened ecological awareness, and built climate resilience from the ground up for children, adolescents, women, and broader rural communities.
Roundglass Foundation’s model combines scale with deep community engagement, ensuring that programmes are structured and replicable while remaining responsive to local realities. Environmental and social action is designed not just as a project but as a community-owned practice that is embedded in everyday life and decision-making. The Foundation’s journey demonstrates that climate resilience and rural transformation in Punjab are anchored in collective participation, shared responsibility, and the sustained empowerment of those who live closest to the land.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
At a time when climate conversations are often dominated by distant policies and top-down targets, Roundglass Foundation’s recognition at Junoon ’25 reminds us that lasting change begins closest to the ground. By placing communities, women, youth, and local institutions at the heart of climate action, this model shows that resilience is not built through one-off interventions, but through everyday practices rooted in trust, participation, and shared responsibility.
For us at The Logical Indian, this story reinforces a powerful truth: when people are treated as partners rather than beneficiaries, climate action becomes an act of collective care for both the planet and each other. It is this blend of empathy, cooperation, and long-term thinking that can help societies move beyond crisis response towards harmony between people and nature. As climate challenges intensify across India, should we now shift our focus from isolated solutions to nurturing community-led movements that prioritise coexistence and compassion?
