Kashmir Eco Village Wins Global Sustainability Validation | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: A Kashmir-based eco-tourism initiative has received international recognition for its sustainability practices, becoming the first enterprise in the region to secure validation under two global environmental assessment frameworks.

SAGG Eco Village Private Limited, founded by entrepreneur Fayaz Ahmad Dar, has been validated under the circular economy assessment framework of Climate KIC, a European climate innovation agency. The evaluation placed the Kashmir venture among top-performing circular economy businesses, awarding it the highest rating — Level 5 “Circularity Champion” — in three categories: business model, product and service design, and contribution to local circularity.

The validation forms part of the ClimAccelerator programme, supported by the IKEA Foundation and SecondMuse, which identifies and supports climate-focused enterprises worldwide.

According to the assessment report released in March 2026, the eco village also scored Level 4 “Circularity Trendsetter” in materials circularity, reflecting its waste management, repair practices, water conservation, and local economic integration.

A separate environmental impact scorecard prepared by GREENR, an initiative of TechnoServe in partnership with the J-PAL, quantified the project’s environmental performance.

The report states that during the financial year 2023–24, the eco village composted 1,350 kilograms of kitchen waste, preventing nearly 1,500 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions that would otherwise have been generated from landfill disposal. Its natural wastewater treatment and reuse systems also saved about one million litres of freshwater in the same period.

Total operational emissions from the retreat—including LPG used for cooking and electricity consumption—were estimated at 2,625 kilograms of CO₂-equivalent for the entire year, roughly comparable to emissions generated by a single passenger on a round-trip flight between Delhi and London.

Located in the foothills of the Harmukh in the Kashmir Valley, the eco village combines ecological farming, sustainable accommodation, and environmental education. Guests stay in mud-insulated huts designed to retain heat during winter, while food is sourced from local orchards and farms.

The initiative applies several internationally recognised circular economy strategies, including eliminating single-use plastics, promoting regenerative agriculture, repairing equipment, and upcycling waste materials.

The venture has also received regional tourism recognition. In 2025 it won the Silver Award for Climate Action at the ICRT Indian Subcontinent Responsible Tourism Awards 2025, as well as a Gold Award for Grassroots Action at the Outlook Responsible Tourism Summit 2025. Later that year, it secured another Gold Award at the TOFT Nature Tourism Awards 2025.

Founded in 2012, SAGG Eco Village is considered the first eco-village initiative in Jammu and Kashmir and operates as a farm-stay integrated with organic agriculture and environmental training programmes. According to the organisation, its long-term goal is to help train 100,000 ecological entrepreneurs in sustainable land-based enterprises across the region.