The Centre for Environment Education was established in 1984 with support from the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests and the Nehru Foundation for Development. The Centre's primary objective is to promote the conservation and wise use of nature and natural resources by improving public understanding and providing educational materials for audiences ranging from schoolchildren to decision makers.

The CEE is the largest EE organization in the world. It has 250 staff members based in a network of 30 offices across one of the most diverse countries on the planet, and because of this diversity all CEE programs and materials are designed flexibly to allow adaptation in different regions of India. The Centre works with schools, colleges, youth groups, communities, the media, development groups and decision-makers. CEE has trained thousands of teachers and produced educators' guides and other publications that have reached hundreds of thousands more. It has produced materials in Braille for blind children; trained journalism interns and supported environmental film and video production. Since its inception but 20 years ago, CEE has initiated and produced an extraordinary number of projects and publications addressing themes ranging from solid waste to biodiversity to sustainable development in mountainous areas.

The organization works with many international organizations, including several in this country, to promote environmental education across Asia. Thousands of educators and journalists from dozens of countries have been trained through CEE workshops and programs. Finally this past January, the CEE organized and hosted the first large international conference to launch the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, an event that drew more than 900 educators from 40 countries to take stock of what has been achieved thus far, to showcase the best practices from around the world, and to set the course for the future.

Accepting this award on behalf of the Centre is its director, Kartikeya V.Sarabhai.