Four Indians shortlisted for 2023 Commonwealth Youth Awards

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). From India, Akshay Makar has been shortlisted under SDG13 Climate Action, Soumya Dabriwal SDG 5 Gender Equality, Kaushal Shetty SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, and Shrutika Silswal SDG 4 Quality Education. «Each year, I am always amazed by the innovative and transformative work these young people are undertaking to create a better world for us all,» Baroness Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary-General.

«I am particularly proud that 50 young leaders are being honoured in this Commonwealth Year of the Youth. I have always been of the view that development should be youth-led. Those who have been shortlisted prove that young people are not just passive bystanders, waiting to see what the future will bring.

Instead, they are actively shaping it,» she said. Akshay Makar is the CEO of Climatenza Solar, a mission-focused company that is working to decarbonise the industrial sector and the company is working with leading global companies like Coca-Cola, Tata Group and Unilever to decarbonise their industrial heat where they are implementing 23MW to cut 37,430 tons of carbon emissions. Over the next five years, he aims to manufacture 273 MW capacity that will save over 650,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.

Soumya Dabriwal is a development practitioner and an Economics Graduate from the University of Warwick. While volunteering in Ghana, she observed girls skipping school 3 days/month during their periods and using unsafe menstrual protection. Understanding that this is a global phenomenon gave birth to Project Baala, which delivers innovative menstrual hygiene solutions.