In conversation with a globally recognized climate activist from India, we discussed the urgency of climate action and India’s evolving role.
“India is at a unique inflection point,” she said. “We are the world’s third-largest emitter but per capita emissions are still low. Our development must be different from how the West developed — leapfrogging to clean technologies.”
Q: What gives you hope?
“Young people. They understand the science, feel the urgency, and are willing to act. From college campuses to villages, climate awareness has exploded.”
Q: What concerns you most?
“The pace. Climate doesn’t wait. We have a decade to fundamentally transform our energy systems, transportation, agriculture, and consumption patterns. Every year we delay makes the challenge harder.”
Q: Your message to India’s youth?
“Don’t be discouraged. Don’t be cynical. Every action counts — your career choices, your consumption decisions, your voting choices, your voice in public discourse. You have more power than you realize.”
