Climate action, done on the ground.
We design, run and verify climate programmes with communities in 150+ Indian cities.
Start here
Collaborate with us
There are three ways people usually work with Earth5R. Pick the one that fits you and we will take it from there.
CSR, ESG, BRSR and carbon reporting
We plan and run programmes with your teams and local communities, measure every result in the field, and hand you numbers you can put straight into your BRSR and ESG reports.
Plan a programme with usLearn sustainability through real field work
FIELDWORK takes students out of the classroom and into their own neighbourhoods. They study real problems, work alongside the community, and every piece of their work is verified.
Explore FIELDWORKResearch, policy and the Sustainable Futures Podcast
If you study climate or shape policy, we would love to hear from you. Join a conversation on the podcast, read our field research on EarthJournal or explore a research partnership with us.
Listen to the podcastPartners
Who we've worked with
In the press since 2014
Recognition
Recognised by President Macron, Google and the Paris Peace Forum.
Young Leader India-France Award
Earth5R founder Saurabh Gupta was personally recognised by President Emmanuel Macron as a Young Leader India-France in the environment category. He was also Project Leader for the Environmental Sector at the Paris Peace Forum, presented to 65 heads of state.
Google's pick for sustainability AI in India
Google showed Earth5R on stage at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, as one of 15 AI agents picked from 200+ startups.
Read the full story →TEDx talks
Saurabh's two TEDx talks, in Paris and Mumbai.
What we do
Our work
Ground-level action
River cleanups, waste and circular economy, farming, livelihoods and BlueCities programmes run with communities.
See programmes →Our software: TERRA
TERRA, the climate readiness platform built on field-verified data across 5,526 locations.
Open TERRA →Carbon, audits & readiness
BRSR Core, SBTi, CBAM and carbon work, with reports your auditors and board can check.
Climate readiness →Research & learning
University programmes, the Sustainable Futures Podcast, AI & sustainability and free e-books.
Explore →TERRA · Climate readiness
What TERRA does for your company
It covers BRSR Core (SEBI's audited sustainability report for listed companies), CCTS (India's carbon credit trading scheme), SBTi (the global body that checks company climate targets) and CBAM (the EU's charge on carbon in imports).
Client programmes
Work we've done for clients
Six of the programmes we have run with clients and institutions. More on the case studies page.
School Environment & Circular Economy Programme
Across 20 schools reaching about 10,000 students, with eco gardens from upcycled plastic and solar-powered filtration delivering about 500,000 litres of clean drinking water a year.
Plastic Recovery Programme · India & Singapore
Beach cleanup through repeated interventions over one year. 27 tonnes of plastic removed, geo-tagged and verified for corporate ESG reporting.
Farmer Onboarding, Measurement & Verification
A 10,000-farmer programme across four states, with onboarding, measurement and verification on the Earth5R platform.
Data Centre Carbon Footprint Research
Sustainability curriculum designed and delivered for NYU Abu Dhabi, with teaching and mentoring of NYU students. Joint research on data centre carbon footprints with the Mozilla Data Collective and the University of Pennsylvania.
Ganga River Plastic Reduction · Adviser
Adviser on the Ganga river plastic reduction project, sharing our river data with the team advising national policy.
Solar Street Light Initiative
50 solar street lights installed in urban Mumbai to improve safety, plus solar lamps for tribal families in off-grid rural areas so children can study after dark.
Read the case study →Impact in numbers
Twelve years in numbers
Every number is field-verified, geo-tagged and timestamped.
Lives behind the numbers
328,000 livelihoods. Three of them.
Community members whose work changed through Earth5R programmes in Mumbai.
Ayesha
Trained to make paper bags from waste newspaper and denim bags from upcycled jeans. Now produces 300 bags weekly, supplies local shops, and trains other women in the community.
Abdul Rehman
Sorted scrap for 18 years. Earth5R programmes began channelling clean, sorted plastic directly to him. Income increased. Now teaches other informal workers how to sort better.
Sulochana
What started as one woman collecting waste cloth from garment factories became a collective. The Kurla women transform industrial fabric offcuts into handmade toys.
Research & Learning
Research, podcasts and free reading
The podcast, AI and sustainability, university work and free e-books in one place.
Listen
Sustainable Futures Podcast
Co-hosted by Saurabh Gupta and Marine Ragnet. Conversations with scientists and policy researchers, shared with companies, city officials and students. Two thirds of the audience are young people.
Watch episodes →
AI hub
AI Risks & Sustainability
The energy, water and land AI uses today, and the choices being made about how powerful it should become.
Open the hub →
Mutual partnership
University programmes
Global South field work meets Global North research, as equal partners. Students reach leading programmes. Universities meet young people already running real projects with communities and data. Part of the NYU Abu Dhabi curriculum.
See FIELDWORK →Free e-books
Handbooks for CSR and ESG teams
Built from Earth5R field work and the reports of India's leading companies. Free, no sign-up.
Founder
Meet Earth5R's founder
"Earth5R is doing extraordinary work at the intersection of grassroots action and global sustainability. Exactly the kind of execution-led model the world urgently needs."Dr Julie Newman, PhD · Director of Sustainability, MIT
Saurabh Gupta cycled 50,000 kilometres through Asia, Africa and Europe, and built Earth5R into an environmental organisation running verified field operations across 5,526 locations.
EarthJournal
Field notes from the frontline
Groundwater Depletion in India: 2026 Data, Hotspots, Contamination and the Fixes That Work on the Ground
India draws more groundwater than any other country, and the 2026 monsoon ended 13% short. The latest national data on depletion hotspots…
Food Waste in India in 2026: 10 Facts on Homes, Farms, Landfills and the New Rules
Indian homes throw away about 78 million tonnes of food a year, farms lose ₹1.53 lakh crore of produce after harvest, and…
AI and Sustainability: Living Within Planetary Limits and Human Limits
AI is pressing on the planet's limits and on human limits at the same time: energy, water and e-waste on one side…
10 Facts About Air Pollution in India in 2026: Most Polluted Cities, Causes and What Works
Ten data-backed facts on air pollution in India for 2026: the most polluted cities, the main causes, deaths, the cost to GDP…
SBTi in India and Abroad: Why Ground Action Decides Whether a Target Counts
How SBTi targets work in India and abroad, what the 2026 standard asks of companies, and how field action on waste and…
Data Centres and Water in India: Risks, Disclosure and a Community Method for Catchment Stewardship
India's data centre capacity is set to triple or more by 2030, much of it in cities that already struggle for water…
We Do Not Hate Ants: Why the Window to Steer AI Is Closing
Most environmental damage is done by people who never meant any harm. A growing number of the world's top AI scientists warn…
Are We Ready for 2027? What the Great AI Debate Means for People and Planet
Two AI safety researchers and two sceptics argued whether artificial intelligence could end humanity. They agreed on one thing: the companies building…
AI Risks and Sustainability: The Twelve Futures for Life on Earth
Most warnings about environmental collapse come from outside the industries that cause it. Artificial intelligence breaks that pattern: some of the starkest…
Questions people ask
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to what people ask us most.
What is Earth5R?
Earth5R is a Mumbai-based environmental organisation, recognised under UNESCO Green Citizens, running climate and sustainability programmes across India since 2014.
What is the scale of Earth5R's ground-level operations?
Earth5R is India's largest environmental organisation working on the ground, with 2.5 million citizens mobilised, 5,526 verified field locations and climate programmes in 150+ Indian cities since 2014.
Where is Earth5R based?
Earth5R is based in Mumbai, India, with verified field operations across 5,526 locations in 150+ Indian cities and institutional relationships across Europe, the US and India.
How can a company work with Earth5R?
Companies partner on CSR and ESG programmes, and carbon and climate readiness work through TERRA. Get in touch, or try the free TERRA check first.
How can students learn with Earth5R?
Students can read the free e-books and handbooks, study Earth5R case studies, and apply for the FIELDWORK fellowship, where fellows do real field work that is independently verified. You'll find FIELDWORK under For school students in the menu.
Do you work with universities and policymakers?
Yes. Earth5R runs university programmes, publishes the Sustainable Futures Podcast with guests from institutions such as MIT and the United Nations University, and partners on research including data-centre carbon work.
What is TERRA?
TERRA is Earth5R's online platform that shows a company how ready it is for climate rules, risks and reporting, using data checked on the ground.
Ready to start?
Tell us what you're working on and we'll suggest where to begin.
