Mumbai: Bollywood actress Bhumi Pednekar has launched a sustainability campaign to raise awareness about climate change and environmental conservation. Her non-profit advocacy platform Climate Warrior is planning to focus on engaging with people and encouraging them to make environment-friendly choices.
The Dum Laga Ke Haisha actress told Pinkvilla that what matters the most is that we become conscious to protect our planet. "We are already in a crisis and the time to pay heed to this is now. There is a need for all of us to educate ourselves and be aware and conscious citizens who are looking to make a difference. We need to preserve the planet for our future generations."
The platform also highlights the work done by activists and citizen groups in the country. This is not the first time Bhumi has spoken about taking care of the planet.
A week ago, she was named the first National Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in India. The 33-year-old will now work to mobilise support for beach clean-ups and eliminate the use of plastics. She tweeted that she is honoured to be the first to take up the role and thanked the organisation for trusting her with the responsibility.
Speaking to the media, she said: "I believe it is our collective responsibility to ensure we leave behind a better world for future generations. The SDGs provide a roadmap for building a more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous future for all. I look forward to working with UNDP India to raise awareness about the SDGs and inspire people to take action."
Last year, Bhumi spoke to NDTV and highlighted the responsibility people have in protecting the world. "The irresponsibility of the people towards the climate crisis is risking future generations to come. The researchers and various data have reiterated how we’ve reached a tipping point and are close to going over the other side. Most of the financial and economic crises are a result of climate change. The lack of empathy, care, etc., does not affect climate change, as much as the lack of ignorance does. The mitigation efforts need to be examined at a more individualistic level."
"We are a generation that has gone through a pandemic of the first of its kind that we have seen, and if science is to be believed, which we should, this is just the start of it. There are droughts, floods, and famines. You know, we are losing out on people because of a lack of food, water, and basic resources. There are mass refugee crises that are happening because of climate change, and we can’t ignore it," she added.