Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati on Monday, 10 August urged the state's youth to step up as leaders in green entrepreneurship and climate resilience, calling on them to transform waste into value, champion renewable energy, advance sustainable agriculture, and generate employment while safeguarding the environment. He was addressing a gathering at a private university in Khordha.

The Governor's Core Message

Kambhampati framed his address as a follow-up to an appeal he had made to the same audience a year earlier. 'Today, I return with a simple message: Odisha does not merely need young people to inherit its future; Odisha needs young people to build that future,' he said. He argued that the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047 could be realised only by channelling the energy and creativity of youth into purposeful, on-the-ground action.

Climate Threat and Odisha's Vulnerability

The Governor underscored that climate change had moved well beyond a distant warning. Heatwaves, erratic rainfall, floods, cyclones, and rising sea levels are already disrupting agriculture, nutrition, and livelihoods across the state. 'Climate action is not only an environmental responsibility, but it is a responsibility towards human dignity and the future of our children,' he said. Odisha's repeated exposure to devastating cyclones and floods, he noted, makes it one of India's most climate-vulnerable states — and therefore one with the most urgent need for systemic resilience-building.

Local Initiatives Cited as Models

Kambhampati spotlighted several youth-led efforts already making a difference: seed-ball activities in Phulbani, plantation drives in Jatni and Khalikote, Blue Flag beach initiatives in Puri, and climate sensitisation programmes in Similipal. He held these up as proof that local action, when organised and sustained, can drive wider systemic change. He stressed the 3-R principle — Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle — and Mission LiFE as essential frameworks for embedding sustainability into everyday life.

Mission 30 by 30 and District-Level Action

The Governor launched a call for 'Mission 30 by 30', urging youth to help mobilise climate action across every district of Odisha by 2030, blending local ecological knowledge with science and technology to address district-specific challenges. He asked participants in the three-day Youth Parliaments and district dialogues to move beyond debate and return as 'ambassadors of sustainability, champions of climate resilience and agents of change.'

Energy Security and the Electric Vehicle Push

Linking sustainable lifestyles to national energy security, Kambhampati pointed to geopolitical tensions in West Asia and India's dependence on imported crude oil. He urged youth to promote sustainable mobility and a gradual shift towards electric vehicles, arguing this would reduce fossil fuel imports, ease pressure on foreign exchange reserves, and strengthen energy self-reliance. Notably, his own official convoy has already transitioned to electric vehicles — a gesture he framed as evidence that individual behavioural change, adopted collectively, can contribute meaningfully to national goals. The call to action sets a clear deadline: district-by-district climate mobilisation across Odisha within five years.