19-year-old Hina Saifi, a young climate activist from Sisosla Village of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh has made it to the list of 17 Climate Change leaders who will be the face of United Nations India’s new campaign #WeTheChangeNow.
The initiative aims to showcase climate solutions pioneered by young Indians as a celebration of India’s climate leadership.
Hina has been associated with 100% Uttar Pradesh Campaign & The Climate Agenda since 2018.
Hina believes, “If there’s public awareness first, then we can improve the environment. It will happen if people are aware of climate-friendly behaviours and actions. This is why I want to work in the space of public awareness and mobilization”.
Hina got motivated to work on climate change, after noting a lack of environmental and climate awareness in her village coupled with high levels of pollution.
She is a strong supporter of on-the-ground activism as a means of changing people’s behaviour, and she works to educate the public about climate-friendly behaviour through various mobilisation activities such as the March for Clean Air, pamphlet distribution, public meetings, door-to-door visits, and surveys.
She also campaigns for solar-powered solutions to air pollution, like solar pumps or rooftop solar installation for public and community buildings.
Her campaigns are one of the various ways the nation is meeting its Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs, one of which is to boost the share of India’s energy capacity derived from non-fossil fuel sources, such as solar power, to 40% by 2030.
Hina is currently associated with En Bloc, an NGO based in Meerut.
The 17 young climate champions, including Hina, will invite young Indians to join the movement by sharing their climate action stories on the campaign website.
“We can still make a difference, restore our planet, and make peace with nature. These 17 young climate leaders, the faces of the We The Change movement, are showing us the way ahead towards climate justice and climate action. Their stories have inspired me and I hope they inspire people everywhere to share their climate actions, big or small, using #WeTheChangeNOW,” says Dia Mirza, UN Secretary-General’s Advocate for Sustainable development Goals, Actor, and Producer, who has lent her support to the digital campaign.
“The campaign – inspired by the stories of India’s young climate leaders – encourages us to adopt a more solution-based, innovative approach to fight climate change. We know solutions are already within reach to solve the present climate crisis. We hope that through the #WeTheChangeNow campaign, we will inspire bolder climate action from people, communities and the national and state governments,” says Deirdre Boyd, UN Resident Coordinator in India.
The campaign will celebrate and curate innovative, sustainable and equitable climate solutions and actions being pioneered by young people in India.
