The United Nations in India recently launched its climate campaign, ‘We The Change’ to recognise and celebrate the green solutions pioneered by young people in India. Of the 17 heroes, 9 of them are young women. Through their sustainability efforts across fashion, water conservation, waste management, education, policymaking, sustainable energy, these women inspire and impact thousands of people around India. Read on to know more about them!
Garvita Gulati
In 2015, Garvati founded Why Waste? and worked with over 5 lac restaurants, 10 million people and prevented over 6 million litres of water from being wasted. Garvita has been recognised by the Earth Day Network as an ‘Earth Day Network Rising Star’ and was named one of the 40 under 40 environmentalists of the year in 2019.
Kriti Tula
As a trained apparel designer, Kriti has worked in the global apparel industry for more than 10 years. After studying and working in London she returned to India to expand her label, Doodlage. She aims to create India’s first global, sustainable and affordable fashion brand, focusing on reselling, repairing, and upcycling while including ethically-made recycled fabrics.
Sneha Shahi
Sneha is a conservationist and has been affiliated with the UNEP – Plastic Tide Turner campaign. She has worked with the Centre for Environment Education on water policies and climate change and has led a stream restoration program for the conservation of urban rivers and their diversity with an emphasis on mugger crocodiles. Currently, she’s doing her Ph.D. at ATREE in conservation science and sustainability.
Hina Saifi
19-year-old Hina has been associated with the 100% Uttar Pradesh Campaign and the Climate Agenda since 2018. Ever since, she has been advocating for climate consciousness and educating locals from her village in Meerut through several public mobilisation activities like marches, pamphlet distribution, public meetings, chaupals, door-to-door activities, and surveys. She is currently associated with En Bloc, an NGO based in Meerut.
Varsha Raikwar
Varsha has worked as a radio reporter for Radio Bundelkhand 90.4FM for 4 years and has contributed to programs that aim to empower women, discuss climate change and sustainable livelihood opportunities. Through her community and on-ground work, she covers issues related to heritage conservation, Bundeli legislation, and policymaking, health, and cleanliness, as well as awareness on prevention of early marriage of girls, voting awareness, and new dimensions of agriculture.
Heeta Lakhani
Heeta is a climate educator from Mumbai. She attended COP21 in Paris in 2015, and since then, has been engaging locally with school students and internationally with the official youth constituency of the UNFCCC, YOUNGO. Today, she is the current Focal Point from the Global South for YOUNGO and is also the delegate for ‘Youth4Climate: Driving Ambition’ organised by the SG’s Envoy on Youth. She has also started the ‘Green Warriors’ program on climate education.
Neha Shivaji Naikwade
Neha is a mechanical engineer and co-Founder of Parvaah, a youth cell working toward zero-waste initiatives. She has worked extensively on policymaking and CSR initiatives through her corporate work and experience as a Policy in Action Fellow at Young Leaders for Active Citizenship (YLAC). She currently works with the Climate Collective Foundation as a Project Manager where she helps develop and strengthen climate-oriented startups and early-stage climate-tech entrepreneurs.
Medha Priya
Medha is an Architect who works through sustainable infrastructure development to optimise the relationship between people, buildings, and the environment. She has been a part of the winning team to design the 200-acre college campus of IIM Visakhapatnam that was rated 5-stars on GRIHA, the highest rating for green buildings in India. She is also a Green Buildings Analyst and designs and implements assistance through building certifications such as WELL, LEED, GRIHA, and IGBC. Currently, Medha works at an advisory firm that provides expertise in the domain of green buildings.
Archana Soreng
Belonging to the Khadia tribe of the Sundergarh district of Odisha, Archana’s focus has been on preserving and promoting the traditional knowledge and practices of the adivasi and forest dwelling communities. She has been the National Convener of Tribal Commission, also known as Adivasi Yuva Chetna Manch of the All India Catholic University Federation. She has worked as a Research Officer at the Tata Institute of Social Science’s Forest Rights and Governance Project, Odisha in 2018 and currently works as Research Officer in Vasundhara Odisha, a policy research and advocacy NGO. Archana has been selected as one of the seven members of United Nations Secretary General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change and is a member of YOUNGO, the official children and youth constituency of the UNFCCC.
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