US mission in India wins annual greening diplomacy award

The American diplomatic mission in India has won the prestigious greening diplomacy initiative award of the State Department for its innovative whole-of-country approach to greening.
In a statement, the State Department said the one particular category of the GDI Award chosen by employee vote, went for include Mission India for an innovative whole-of-country approach to greening.
"One of its consulates, Consulate General Kolkata, even reduced water use by 45 per cent through waste water recycling," the State Department said.
Indian-American Richard Verma is the current US Ambassador to India.
Each Earth Day, GDI Awards recognise innovative leadership within the Department of State in energy and environmental diplomacy.

Since 2009, GDI has been the Department's effort to support environmental policy priorities and catalyze climate action in host countries through leveraging the United States' embassies and consulates.

Consulate General Ciudad Juarez was named the 2016 GDI Award winner, while the US Embassy Lusaka was named the runner-up.
Employees also chose US Embassy Amman to win an accolade for working to save energy and water in a dry climate, avoiding substantial costs.
Tri-Mission Rome was an honorable mention for obtaining the Department's first LEED Certification for Existing Buildings for a facility that is nearly 100 years old.