Dia Mirza: We need to stringently seek legal accountability for climate action

Actress Dia Mirza supports the cause of eco-sensitivity and works towards the betterment of the ecosystem in her role as the UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador and United Nations Secretary-General Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals.

Dia recently interacted with Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General (DSG) of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, in a freewheeling conversation.

Both made some compelling arguments around 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. Setting the stage for the conversation, Mohammed shared right at the beginning how she grew up in Nigeria with a sense of hope, possibility and in total harmony with nature.

Dia echoed her thoughts saying that the planet can provide for our needs but not for endless greed. The actress 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."

Talking about the need of the hour; moving to green energy, Mohammed 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."

Both said that the contribution of youth remains the key factor to fight the evil of the climate crisis and that we need to raise awareness around the concept of sustainable development and moving to a lifestyle where co-existence with other species is of the essence.

Dia believes that India can set an example for the world by wisely utilising its vast umbrella of demographics, 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," the actress said.