“We need to stringently seek legal accountability for Climate Action”: Dia Mirza

The actor in a conversation with Amina J. Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, also said that the way to truly build sustainable economies is with nature

Actor, producer and champion for nature Dia Mirza, interacted with Amina J. Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group. In a freewheeling conversation, the two discussed the urgency of addressing the climate crisis with concrete solutions. The focus of the conversation was also how high impact climate events affect women and children from underprivileged countries, the most.

Right at the onset Ms. Mohammed shared how she grew up in Nigeria with a sense of hope, possibility and in total harmony with Nature. This is something that Dia resonates with as she too believes that the planet can provide for our needs but not for endless greed. She said, “The only way forward is to work with the environment. The way to truly build sustainable economies is with nature. India is an old civilisation which has always honoured nature and we need to go back to our roots and relearn the basics of living in congruence with the environment.”

Both Dia and the DSG agreed that policy makers must go beyond words and be more cognisant of the implications of ignorance and apathy. As the latter said :”It is important to deliver solutions, grow economies but not on the back of the planet and move away from fossil fuels. The climate crisis has escalated to astronomical levels and it is important to act now to strengthen the environment along with a sustainable economy.”

Environmental apathy brings with it economic devastation because a single dust storm can obliterate an entire harvest and create a cycle of poverty, hunger and debt. Because of extreme climate events, 40 million people have not only lost their livelihoods, but their hopes for a better future. And that is why said the DSG, the COP26 (2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference) was disappointing as the leaders did not decisively cross the t’s and dot the i’s.

Both Dia and the DSG agreed that the youth will define the climate conversation with their voices. As for the citizenry, the message is simply that we must impact the planet positively, live a life which is greener and insist that parliamentary bodies start investing in positive action now.

As for India, Dia believes, the country can make the most of its demographic dividend and tip the scales of climate action and set an example for the world. As she said, “I have tried to make my voice heard and reached out to as many students and youth as possible to talk about what we can do together. The IPCC (The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report has made it evident that this is the defining crisis of our times and it affects everything. The only way to bring about change is to make a legal document which will work at holding people accountable. We can't hope that people themselves will change and do what is necessary. We need to stringently seek accountability for a better tomorrow.”