Content creator, influencer and actor Prajakta Koli was the only Indian YouTuber to be invited by Google to the COP28 Summit being held in UAE. During her four-day stint as a speaker, Koli indulged in meaningful conversations around the climate crisis and now, her statements on using her platform to influence change are taking over social media.
On being asked how the younger generation can be a part of the climate movement, Prajakta was quick to share that understanding how humans are a part of nature is extremely important and if what we have around us collapses, we collapse with it. "I think as much as there is awareness about the problems, there’s not so much awareness about the roots of the problems or the solutions that we can work around. So it’s important to speak about it in your homes, with your families, with your friend circles, at work, as much as you can," she shared.
She interacted with Dr. Benjamin Hamlington at NASA, a Research Scientist in the Sea Level and Ice Group in the Earth Sciences Section and Jyotsna Puri, the Associate Vice President for Strategy & Knowledge Development at the International Fund for Agricultural Development. The YouTuber also discussed the role women play in climate change with Sarah Hendriks, Deputy Executive Director for Policy, Programme, Civil Society & Intergovernmental and Jemimah Njuki, Support at UN Women & Chief, Economic Empowerment.
On being asked about the importance of participating in COP28, Prajakta said, "I feel very grateful that I’m in a position where a brand like Google, NASA, COP 28, and United Nations think that there is value in making these conversations happen and that’s where I come into the picture. I’m always very excited every time there is an opportunity to have any conversation with anyone influential, learn as much as you can and I think COP 28 is a great platform to do that. It is important because I’m a citizen of this world and it should be important for all of us as we are responsible for it."