Palakkad school turns students into climate auditors to track household carbon footprints

A school in Palakkad, Kerala is launching a year-long program to turn every student into a climate auditor. Starting on World Environment Day, students at St Dominic's Higher Secondary School will use a digital platform called Green Metrica to calculate their household carbon emissions from electricity, LPG, waste, food, and recycling. The data goes onto a dashboard so students can track their footprint and see progress as they adopt greener habits. The school aims to become the first in India to achieve 100% environmental literacy. The initiative is part of the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign. Students get training from the school's Eco Club on carbon accounting and reduction methods. The idea is that when kids start questioning energy use and waste at home, whole families shift toward sustainability. If this works, it could become a model for schools across Kerala and beyond, turning classrooms into real labs for climate action.