CHENNAI: In a move to create awareness of climate change and its impacts, the State Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Department conducted a workshop for MLAs in Chennai, on Monday.

Speaking at the workshop, Speaker M Appavu said that the State is at the forefront of facing climate change challenges and explained the methods to reuse construction waste. “Tamil Nadu is the first to constitute a separate company to mitigate climate change.

Under TN Green Climate Company, around 265 crore saplings will be planted before 2031. As of now, 3.15 crore saplings have been planted,” a department release said.

The release added that works are underway to convert 25 schools into Green Schools and 40 Green Fellows have been appointed for all the districts.

MLAs were informed about the Meendum Manajpai campaign and its part in curbing plastic pollution. Minister Siva V Meyyanathan spoke on increasing the forest cover of the State to 33 per cent from present 23 per cent.