Yuva Sustainability Internships | 2nd Yuva Sustainability Conference
COP30 has reaffirmed the global community’s commitment to addressing climate change through frameworks encompassing mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage, climate finance, and just transition. While these outcomes provide important policy guidance, the gap between high-level commitments and tangible implementation remains significant. Effective climate action requires bridging this divide, translating international agreements into locally relevant solutions that address diverse social, economic, and environmental contexts.
Youth are uniquely positioned to contribute to this process. As both stakeholders and agents of change, young people bring innovation, creativity, and energy to climate solutions. At COP30, youth voices were prominent, advocating for stronger ambition, intergenerational justice, and accountability. Despite this engagement, meaningful participation remains constrained by limited access to technical knowledge, funding, decision-making platforms, and mentorship opportunities. Without targeted support, the potential of youth to implement climate solutions in line with COP30 commitments risks remaining untapped. Integrating youth perspectives enhances the legitimacy, inclusivity, and sustainability of climate interventions, particularly in local communities disproportionately affected by climate impacts.
Building on the ongoing the discourse, we are organising an online conference on the theme “Beyond COP30: Empowering Youth for Climate Action” under Voices of Bharat: Yuva for Sustainability, an initiative of Sustainability Karma with Lok Samvad Sansthan as the implementation partner.
Topic: Beyond COP30: Empowering Youth for Climate Action
Date: Time: 13th December 2025 | 2.30 pm – 6.30 pm
Agenda
- 2.30-3.00 pm: Registration & Introductions
- 3.00-3.45 pm: Inaugural Session
- Welcome Address: Rajiv Tikoo, Convenor, Yuva for Sustainability
- Opening Address: Prof (Dr) Rihan Khan Suri, Director, Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Jamia Millia Islamia
- Special Address: Prof Seema Agrawal, Principal, Kanoria PG Mahila Mahavidyalaya
- Special Address: Prof Bijayalaxmi Nanda, Principal, Miranda House, University of Delhi
- Keynote Address: Prof K G Suresh, Director, India Habitat Centre; Former VC, Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University; Former, DG, Indian Institute of Mass Communication
- 3.45-4.00 pm: Session 1 – COP30 Outcomes and Road Ahead
- Moderator: Naina Gautam, Editor, Sustainability Karma
- Speaker: Mr Santhosh Jayaram, Adjunct Prof of Practice at the School of Sustainable Futures, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
- Q&A
- 4.00-4.15 pm: Session 2: Climate Action Outside COPs
- Moderator: Ms Naina Gautam, Editor, Sustainability Karma
- Speaker: Ms Snigdha Kala, Deputy General Manager, Investment and Business Development, Blueleaf Energy
- Q&A
- 4.15-4.30 pm: Session 3: The Role of Youth in Climate Action
- Moderator: Ms Naina Gautam, Editor, Sustainability Karma
- Speaker: Mr Sandeep Chandna, Chief Sustainability Officer, Tech Mahindra
- Q&A
- 4.30-5.00 pm: Session 3 A: Youth @COP30 and Beyond
- Moderator: Dr Manisha Pandit, Senior Manager, Yuva for Sustainability
- Chair: Prof (Dr) Shahid Rasool, Dean, School of Media Studies, Central University of Kashmir
- Speakers: Yuva Sustainability Champions: Apoorva Mittal, Ishika Bhardwaj, Sabyasachi Senapati, Teestha Bhawsar, Zishan Saifi
- 5.00-5.30 pm: Session 3 B: Youth @COP30 and Beyond
- Moderator: Dr Manisha Pandit, Yuva for Sustainability
- Chair: Dr Richa Yadav, Acting Dean, Faculty of Mass Communication, Haridev Joshi University of Journalism and Mass Communication
- Speakers: Yuva Sustainability Champions: Arka Mukhopadhyay, Ravi Ranjan Kumar, Rumani Singh, Shubh Agarwal, Tanveer Kaur Sachdeva
- 5.30-6.00 pm: Valedictory Session
- Moderator: Rajiv Tikoo, Convenor, Yuva for Sustainability
- Special Address: Mr Rajendra Bhanawat (IAS), Trustee, Foundation for Education and Development
- Vote of Thanks: Mr Kalyan Singh Kothari, Convenor, Yuva for Sustainability
