The climate emergency that the world is currently facing requires immediate action. It is one of the most pervasive and threatening crises; it is a crisis in civilisation.  

Living beings are facing an existential threat and rapid prioritization of attention and action is necessary. For the same, five people among us have played phenomenal role in protecting the world from the effects of climate change.

1. Greta Thunberg

The glaciers are melting, the forests are disappearing, and the lakes are shrinking yet, people are not reacting. “I want you to panic. I want you to act… I want you to act as if your house is on fire. Because it is,” said the 18-year-old climate activist, Greta Thunberg from Sweden.

She has captivated the attention of the world with her ‘Fridays for Future’ strike. Her strikes have woken up so many young minds all around the world to skip school and demand that governments take strict measures to cut back on greenhouse emissions. Greta Thunberg has spoken on different inter-governmental and global summits like the World Economic Forum, UN Climate Summit, COP24 Climate Summit and more.

2. Christiana Figueres

Christiana Figueres is one of the most prominent climate activists. She has not only led a non-profit climate-change organisation but also took over the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), a body that is responsible for global climate change negotiations. She has successfully reached the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015 after failed attempt in 2009.

3. Hindou Oumarou

Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim is the president of the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad (AFPAT). An expert in how indigenous people adapt to and mitigate climate change, she is also the former co-chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change. She has worked with the government of Chad to cut greenhouse gas emissions in a feasible way.

4. Sunita Narain

Sunita Narain is from India, the most well known environmental activist. She is the director of one of the most influential research group in India; Centre for Science and Environment.  She is also the editor of an environmental magazine named ‘Down to Earth’. She has been cautioning New Delhi about the dangers of high air pollution levels. She is recognised for her scientific methods of research to make people aware of the dangers of climate change. She has also been named as one of the most influential people by the TIME magazine. She has been features in the documentary, ‘Before the Flood’, hosted by Leonardo DiCaprio, describing India’s contributions to save the world from climate change and solutions for climate change.  

5. Vandana Shiva

Vandana Shiva is popularly known for her eco-feminism movement in India. She is an ecologist, physicist, activist and author. She has built an organic agricultural movement in India for about 24 years. In 2003, she was named as the ‘Environmental Hero’ by the TIME magazine. She has also been awarded with ‘Right Livelihood Award’ also known as ‘Alternative Nobel Prize’ placing ecology at the heart of modern development.