'No Stop Button For Climate Change': Indian Teen Delivers Powerful Speech At COP26 Summit

"We will lead even if you don't, we will act even if you delay & we'll build the future even if you are stuck in the past", Vinisha Umashankar said.

Vinisha Umashankar (Screeanshot taken from COP26 Video)

New Delhi: An Indian teen, Vinisha Umashankar, delivered a powerful speech at the COP26 Glasgow, the 14-year old said that her generation was "angry & frustrated over the world leaders' empty promises". She is one of the finalists for the Earthshot Prize & was invited by Prince William to speak at a COP26 meeting.

By comparing her age with the deadlines set by the world leaders. she said that her generation will live to see the consequences of today, "yet none of what has been discussed today seem practical to me", she added. 

She said that "that you are deciding that whether we are worth fighting for or supporting or caring for". 

She said that she was an environmentalist and asked the world leaders to back up their projects, innovations & solutions and not an economy made on fossil fuel, smoke and pollution. 

"On behalf of The Earthshot Prize Winners and Finalists, I invite you to join us. I invite you to stand with us. We hope that you will give up the old ways of thinking and the old habits. But let me be clear we! When we invite you to join us, we will lead even if you don't. We will act even if you delay. And we'll build the future, even if you are still stuck in the past. But please accept my invite and I assure you, you will not regret it," she said.

Vinisha Umashankar's solar-powered street ironing cart made the Earthshot Prize finalist cut for its concept of replacing dirty charcoal with clean energy from the sun.

In her rousing speech, the young girl from Tamil Nadu said that there wasn't a STOP or pause button for climate change. 

Watch her speech here:

"We will lead even if you don't, we will act even if you delay & we'll build the future even if you are stuck in the past."