From Goa to the Nation: Climate Skills Initiative to Empower 500 Youth
Goa, September 16, 2025: Young changemakers gathered today for the launch of the regional workshop under “Climate Skills – Seeds for a Transition India,” an initiative to equip youth with the knowledge and tools to lead climate action. The two-day workshop, organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and its academic arm TERI School of Advanced Studies (T-SAS), in collaboration with Vishwa Yuvak Kendra and aims to sensitize and empower 500 young people nationwide on local climate issues, sustainable practices, adaptation mechanisms, and grassroots solutions. Host Institution in Goa is National Institute of Technology (NIT) Goa.
From classrooms to communities, young changemakers to be trained in eco-centric leadership and climate-responsive action
Supported by the British Council and HSBC, the India leg of the global programme (also active in Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, and Vietnam) is being implemented by TERI, T-SAS along with other partners like University of Mumbai, and HSNC University. In India, TERI will hold workshops across Goa, Delhi, Bengaluru, Bhopal, and Guwahati, leading up to a five-day “Sustainability and Leadership Camp” in Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand. The camp will mentor budding youth leaders to work towards their social action projects within college/university campus and focus on building leadership skills, eco-centric thinking, and capacity for community-level climate action.
The inaugural session began with a warm welcome by Prof OR Jaiswal, Director, NIT Goa, who said, “India’s vision of a sustainable future cannot be achieved without the active participation of young people. You are not just the leaders of tomorrow-you are changemakers of today.”
Underlying the urgency of climate action and the critical role of youth, Dr Dipankar Saharia, Senior Director, TERI, stated, “Climate change is no longer a chapter in a geography book-it is a lived reality. From floods to heatwaves, we are experiencing its impact every day, and the youth must be prepared to respond.”
Participants engaged in an expert interaction on “Technology Interventions for a Sustainable World,” featuring Dr Lalat Indu Giri, Assistant Professor, Electronics and Communication Engineering, NIT Goa, as the keynote speaker. A leadership talk on “People, Planet & Passion” by Dr Saharia urged students to align their skills with purpose-driven climate action. The first session, “Our Climate Skills Seed: The Learning Journey”, introduced youth to pathways and tools for designing impactful social action projects.
The broader objective of “Climate Skills – Seeds for a Transition India” is to nurture a generation of environmentally conscious leaders through structured training, mentoring, and opportunities to initiate grassroots projects. By equipping young people with practical, global climate skills, and fostering innovative approaches to education, the programme aims to create informed advocates who can advance sustainable development in India and beyond.
From leadership training to locally led projects, the initiative is expected to create long-term networks of young leaders committed to climate action. With Goa setting the pace, the programme is ready to inspire hundreds of changemakers–ensuring that the seeds of transition sown today grow into a greener, more resilient tomorrow.