World Environmental Health Day| Prajakta Koli on youth's role in saving environment and meeting Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

On World Environmental Health Day, Prajakta Koli talks about how youth can save the climate and meeting Game Of Thrones actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in New York

For content creator-turned-actor Prajakta Koli, working with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as their India Youth Climate Champion marked a major shift in her perspective. “If there’s one issue pressing humanity’s survival, it’s the environment,” says the 31-year-old, who is currently at Climate Week 2024 in New York (USA) as India’s representative.

Prajakta Koli on World Environmental Health Day

On World Environmental Health Day today, she notes the importance of introducing environmental education at an early age: “When I was in school, we didn’t take environmental studies seriously. That mindset needs to change... Now, I use my social platforms to amplify conversations about climate action.”

The solution, she says, is for the youth to “simply be a part of the conversation”. “They are the most active demographic on digital platforms. They want to make a difference, have an impact and do their part,” she opines, adding, “For it to be truly effective, people in positions of power need to take the youth’s voice seriously.”