The problem
While climate change had been a consistent conversation in India, the need for policy transformations geared towards net-zero had not received the same attention as extreme weather events. A YKA survey revealed only 6% of young respondents understood fossil fuels as the primary cause of climate change.
What YKA did
Perception mapping research
A pan-India survey with 5,200+ respondents mapped climate awareness and willingness to act. Findings informed the entire campaign's messaging and advocacy asks.
Climate Correspondents Fellowship
45 climate communicators from 19 states documented the human impact of the crisis through original reporting and storytelling. Several fellows won the IMF Youth Fellowship and contributed to UN COP26 exhibits.
#PolicyParCharcha
An interactive series facilitating conversations between policy makers and citizens — 30+ dialogues with Lok Sabha MPs, state environment secretaries, NITI Aayog directors, and senior IAS officers.
Knowledge products and state profiles
3 informational packages and 8 in-depth state profiles on just transition pathways for India — resources that continue to serve as repositories for policy and climate organisations.
What changed
As the campaign reached 3M+ people including government officials, India committed to net-zero by 2070 at COP26.
Led directly to an MoU with NIUA in 2023, and subsequently to the Youth ACT Framework — India's first framework for city governments to make climate decision-making youth-centered.
Won the Afaqs! Digipub Award 2023 for best Environment & Climate Reporting section. YKA-trained writers went on to cover climate for organisations including National Geographic.
Related work
The campaign led directly to the Youth ACT Framework and the ACT Indore pilot. Read those case studies →
