November’s Young Planet Leader - Licypriya
Licypriya Kangujam has been recognized for her efforts in raising awareness about climate change and its impact on the planet. She has been actively involved in the global climate change movement, campaigning for causes such as air pollution, climate education, and plastic waste reduction. She has frequently confronted world leaders on climate justice and demanded compensation for the loss and damage caused by the climate crisis to the Global South. She is also known for her "Child Movement" campaign, which aims to empower children to take action against climate change and inspire others to join the cause. In June 2022, she transformed the iconic Taj Mahal into a plastic pollution-free monument.
Delhi University adopted her long-standing demand, making it compulsory for each student to plant at least one tree per year in order to pass their final examination. Thanks to her advocacy, thousands of schools in India now incorporate climate education into their curriculum. After spending a week protesting alone in front of the President’s House in India against the Delhi air pollution crisis, the President signed an ordinance on October 28, 2020, enacting a new law to curb air pollution in Delhi.
Licypriya also opened a "Plastic Money Shop" in Delhi, where people can exchange single-use plastic waste for free rice, stationery items, or saplings, aiming to eliminate single-use plastic waste and prevent it from reaching lakes, rivers, and oceans. In 2020, she launched the "Monday for Mother Nature" initiative, where she plants trees with school children every Monday, with the goal of planting one million trees annually.
In 2020, she turned down Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "She Inspires Us" honor due to unmet demands. She was praised by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who called her "a reminder of the world’s obligations towards future generations" in 2019. Licypriya is the World Children Peace Prize Laureate 2019, Rising Star of Earth Day 2019, and a recipient of the Global Child Prodigy Award 2020, International Women's Day Award 2021 by the Delhi Government, and the prestigious TN Khushoo Memorial Award 2020. She was also featured among the "50 Powerful Voices of the World in 2020," alongside His Holiness Pope Francis, to celebrate Earth Day.
On June 5, 2023, she was invited to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican to celebrate World Environment Day. She was also the girl who helped push for an end to the fossil fuel era at COP28 in Dubai. Licypriya has met with several world leaders as part of her climate movement and has spoken at over 400 institutions and platforms in more than 32 countries, advocating to adults about the threat of climate change.
When she began her movement in 2018, she was alone, but today she has garnered the love and support of thousands from across the globe. Licypriya is a Guinness World Record holder (2022) for her plastic pollution campaign and currently serves as the Special Envoy for the President of Timor-Leste. Her inspiring story is featured as a separate chapter called "Child Hero" in the Grade 3 and Grade 7 CBSE English syllabus in India.
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