Odisha Governor calls on youth to lead climate action as OCOY 4.0 opens

10 Aug 2026, 14:55 by Subadh Nayak · KalingaTV

Bhubaneswar: The fourth edition of the Odisha Conference of Youth (OCOY 4.0) kicked off on Monday at a city-based University bringing together over 150 young delegates from all 30 districts of Odisha with a shared vision of building a more climate-resilient future.

The three-day conference organised by the Youth4Water Plus campaign in partnership with UNICEF Odisha, the Government of Odisha, and more than 50 partner organisations, is centred on the theme, “Building Next Generation Climate Leaders.”

Inaugurating the conference, Odisha Governor Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati urged young people to move beyond awareness and become leaders of change in their communities. He said “Climate change is no longer a distant threat but a lived reality. Odisha is not a land of victims but it is a land of survivors”.

“Go back to your districts as ambassadors of sustainability. Let your actions be so loud that they inspire those who are still silent,” he added.

Highlighting the importance of meaningful youth engagement, Prasanta Kumar Dash, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Odisha, said, “Children and young people are not the passive beneficiaries of the world adults build for them. They are rights-holders, entitled to participate in decisions that shape their lives. UNICEF sees you as partners, not as an audience”.

“Platforms like OCOY empower young people with the knowledge, confidence and opportunities to shape climate solutions within their own communities,” he added.

On this occasion, Dr. Fr. K. S. Casimir, SJ., Vice-Chancellor of XIM University, emphasised the role of education in empowering young people to become responsible leaders and active contributors to climate action.

Over the three-day conference, delegates will participate in climate simulations, negotiation exercises, field visits, innovation challenges and policy dialogues while engaging with experts, practitioners and communities to strengthen their climate leadership.

A field visit to Bidyadharpur village and the Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Puri will provide first-hand exposure to community-led climate-resilient practices.

Delegates will also pitch green enterprises during the Eco-Tank session, deliberate on environmental issues through a Tribunal for Environmental Justice, and jointly draft a Youth Statement to be presented to the Chief Minister of Odisha at the valedictory session on August 12

The dignitaries present at the inaugural session included Padma Shri Sabarmatee, Co-Founder of Sambhav, Harsha Bharda, General Manager and ESG Ambassador, NEXUS Select Trust; Shipra Saxena, WASH-CCES Specialist, UNICEF Odisha; Sujit Mahapatra, Advisor, Youth4Water Plus and Founder, Bakul Foundation; and Blorin Mohanty, Director, Youth4Water Plus. Delegates also viewed a special video message from UNICEF Ambassador and actor Ayushmann Khurrana, encouraging young people to lead with hope, innovation and action in addressing the climate crisis.

As climate risks continue to intensify, OCOY 4.0 reinforces the belief that young people are not only among those most affected by climate change—they are among its most powerful solution providers.

Odisha Governor calls on youth to lead climate action as OCOY 4.0 opens

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