OCOY 4.0 Brings Together 150 Young Climate Leaders From Across Odisha

Bhubaneswar: More than 150 young people from all 30 districts of Odisha have come together in Bhubaneswar to explore solutions to the growing climate crisis and strengthen youth-led climate action, as the fourth edition of the Odisha Conference of Youth (OCOY 4.0) began at XIM University on Monday.

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 being held under the theme “Building Next Generation Climate Leaders.”

Inaugurating the conference, Odisha Governor Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati called upon young people to move beyond awareness and take an active role in creating change in their communities.

“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,” he said.

Urging the delegates to take their learning back to their respective districts, the Governor said, “Go back to your districts as ambassadors of sustainability. Let your actions be so loud that they inspire those who are still silent.”

The conference is designed to provide young participants with a platform to understand climate challenges, develop leadership skills and engage directly with policy and community-level solutions.

Prasanta Kumar Dash, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Odisha, emphasised the importance of giving young people a meaningful role in decisions concerning their future.

“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,” he said.

He added that platforms such as OCOY help young people gain the knowledge, confidence and opportunities needed to develop climate solutions within their communities.

Dr Fr K. S. Casimir, SJ, Vice-Chancellor of XIM University, highlighted the role of education in preparing young people to become responsible leaders and active participants in climate action.

The conference will feature a range of activities, including climate simulations, negotiation exercises, policy dialogues, innovation challenges and field visits. Participants will interact with experts, practitioners and local communities to gain practical insights into climate-resilient development.

As part of the field-based learning, delegates will visit Bidyadharpur village and the Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Puri to observe community-led climate-resilient practices.

The conference will also feature an Eco-Tank session, where participants will pitch green enterprise ideas, and a Tribunal for Environmental Justice, through which they will deliberate on key environmental concerns.

One of the key outcomes of OCOY 4.0 will be a Youth Statement, which will be jointly prepared by the delegates and presented to the Chief Minister of Odisha during the valedictory session on August 12.

The inaugural session was attended by 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 of Bakul Foundation; and Blorin Mohanty, Director, Youth4Water Plus.

The delegates also watched a special video message from UNICEF Ambassador and actor Ayushmann Khurrana, who encouraged young people to approach the climate crisis with hope, innovation and action.

With climate-related risks becoming increasingly visible across Odisha, OCOY 4.0 seeks to strengthen the role of young people not only as those affected by climate change but also as active contributors to developing solutions and building a more resilient future for the state.