‘Climate Change Requires Action Now’: UNICEF Hosts Climate Conversation In Bhopal To Drive Solutions

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Climate Conversation Season 1 was organised in the city by UNICEF, engaging diverse partners as part of its efforts to increase discourse and involve social media influencers, podcasters, media, CSOs, and environmentalists to seek solutions.

Saurabh Popli, who works on environmental issues and is also an Associate Professor at the School of Planning and Architecture, said that global temperature rise is happening and it has significant implications for human societies and ecosystems.

Lokendra Thakkar, Officer-in-Charge of the State Wetland Authority and Coordinator for Climate Change at the Environmental Planning and Coordination Organisation, Ministry of Environment, Government of Madhya Pradesh, said that it is time for more discourse and action on the ground when it comes to climate change. He added that we also need to address food wastage, as it contributes to carbon footprints and impacts climate change. He shared ground-level experiences and stressed the importance of not only planting trees but also saying no to tree cutting and caring for the trees already present.

Anil Gulati, Officer-in-Charge at UNICEF, spoke about how climate change is affecting children — including their education, health, and nutrition — and the impact of disasters on their well-being. He discussed the concept of the circular economy and the effects of increased production and low recycling of waste on the climate. He added that through these climate conversations, UNICEF aims to encourage dialogue on challenges and solutions for the state, which is why the event included voices from government, CSOs, media, social media influencers, and industry.

Pradeep Karambelkar of BNI – Business Network International and President of FICCI said that the industry must take action and find solutions that are eco-friendly. G. K. Mishra, who runs a carbon credits business, emphasized the need to build a new ecosystem for CSR within the industry. Amit Dogra, Health Officer at UNICEF, highlighted the impact of climate change on the health of children, pregnant women, and child nutrition.

Sakshi Bhardwaj of JungleVase, which works on creating urban jungles, spoke about how even small actions can help combat climate change. Shivani Rajput, media consultant, said that we should harness the power of social media to spread messages on climate action and encourage the protection of nature.

As part of the event, participants were invited to make a personal commitment and post it on a tree created at the venue. They were also given bird feeders, plant seeds, and cloth bags to promote sustainability and reduce plastic use.

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