Licypriya’s short biography / Who is Licypriya Kangujam?
Licypriya is a Twelve-Years-Old Indian Climate Activists. She has been championing her cause since six years old to protect, preserve and nurture our environment by fighting the climate change. She is one of the youngest climate activists globally and addressed the world leaders in the United Nations Climate Conference 2019 (COP25) in Madrid, Spain calling the world leaders to take immediate climate actions to save our planet and their future. She attended the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly 2022. She is an outspoken young leader inspiring millions of people around the World and one of the leading voices for climate change globally.
Licypriya has been recognized for her efforts in raising awareness about climate change and its impact on the planet. She has been actively involved in the global climate change movement and has been campaigning for various environmental causes, including air pollution, climate education and plastic waste reductions. She frequently confronted world leaders for climate justice and to pay for the loss and damage caused by the climate crisis to the global south. She is also known for her “Child Movement” campaign, which aims to empower children to take action against climate change and inspire others to join the movement.
She transformed the iconic Taj Mahal into a plastic pollution free monument in June 2022. Delhi University makes it compulsory to plant a minimum of one tree every year by each student to pass their final examination which is her long pending demand to the Government. From zero to thousands of schools in India have now studied climate education in their schools after her request.
On 15th October 2020, Licypriya spent a week at night protesting alone in front of the President House of India against the Delhi air pollution crisis. She was even detained by Delhi Police on 17th October 2020. Soon, within a couple of weeks, the President of India signed an ordinance to enact a new law to curb the Delhi’s high air pollution crisis on 28th October 2020. Many of her colleagues had filed petition at the Supreme Court against the Delhi air pollution crisis in 2020
Licypriya open a “Plastic Money Shop” in Delhi where people can bring single used plastic waste from home and can take free rice or stationery items or a sapling from her shop with the mission to eliminate single use plastic waste from our planet and it stops single used plastic waste from reaching lakes, rivers, and oceans. The collected single used plastic waste has been turn into eco-friendly house roof sheets, road tiles, school benches, desks, bricks, etc. This project won several international awards and recognitions. She launched an initiative called Monday for Mother Nature in 2020 where she plants trees every week with the school children on every Monday with the mission to plant one million trees every year.
She turned down Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “She Inspire Us” honour in 2020 for not addressing her demands. She was praised by United Nations Secretary General Mr. Antonio Guterres as “8-Years- Old Licypriya is the reminder of the world’s obligations towards future generations” in 2019.
She is a World Children Peace Prize Laureate 2019, Rising Star of Earth Day 2019 and the recipients of Global Child Prodigy Award 2020, International Women’s Day Award 2021 by Delhi Government, CNN News 18 Water Hero 2020, Forbes 30 Under 30 Special Mentions 2021, Anthem Award 2022 in USA, and won the prestigious TN Khushoo Memorial Award in 2020. She was featured amongst the “50 powerful voices of the World in 2020” along with His Holiness Pope Francis to celebrate the Earth Day 2020. She is also one of the co-recipients of this year’s International Young Eco Hero Award 2024 given by Action for Nature, California, USA. She has addressed TEDx talks 8 times till now.
Licypriya met His Holiness Pope Francis twice at the Vatican on 5th June 2023 and 26th May 2024. She was also cast in the documentary film “Earth for All” with His Holiness Pope Francis in 2023 produced by Sky News Italy.
Licypriya also works as one of the youngest female wildlife documentary news presenters in the World for Sky News London at the age of 11. She was the co-presenter of the award winning documentary film “Save our Wildlife”.
She was the girl who halted the COP28 Dubai to end the era of fossil fuels during the high level session. She met several World leaders as a part of her climate movement.
During the COVID19 Pandemic in 2020-21, she saved over 100 lives by providing free oxygen concentrators to the poor people across the country. She raised over 100,000 USD (Approx Rs. 74,00,000) within 5 days by crowdfunding through her social media to save people’s lives.
In 2024, she started constructing 100 free houses for the victims of recent violence and also for the climate victims of recent massive hail storms and severe floods in her birthplace Manipur. The first house was inaugurated on 26th July 2024. She has also donated millions of worth items for the homeless people of Manipur affected by recent violence to bring back peace in the state.
She spoke in over 450 institutions and other platforms in over 32 countries advocating adults about the threat of climate change as a part of her movement. When she started her movement in 2018, she was alone but today she has thousands of loves and support from across the globe. She is also a Guinness World Record Holder 2022 for her plastic pollution campaign. She currently works as the Special Envoy for the President of Timor Leste.
Licypriya brave stories are being taught in schools in India in the CBSE English Syllabus of Grade 3 and Grade 7 as a “Child Hero”. She works previously as climate Advisor of Child Rights International Network (CRIN), London and also as an ambassador of Earth Day Network.
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