Licypriya Kangujam (born 2 October 2011) is an Indian climate activist from Manipur and one of the youngest in the world. She began campaigning at the age of seven, standing outside Parliament in New Delhi with placards asking for a climate law, and has spoken at several United Nations climate conferences. In December 2023 she drew international attention by running onto the stage at the COP28 summit in Dubai with a sign calling for an end to fossil fuels.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Licypriya Kangujam |
| Born | 2 October 2011, Bashikhong, Manipur, India |
| Age | 15 |
| Occupation | Climate activist |
| Known for | Child Movement; protests at COP25 and COP28 |
| Active since | 2018 |
Early Life
Kangujam was born in Bashikhong, near Imphal, into a Meitei family and spent part of her childhood in Bhubaneswar and Delhi. She has said that she became aware of disasters and climate change when she accompanied her father to raise funds for victims of the 2015 Nepal earthquake, and after seeing the effects of cyclones in Odisha. In 2018 she attended a United Nations conference on disaster risk in Mongolia, which she describes as the event that changed her life.
Activism
On her return she started what she called the Child Movement to ask leaders to act on climate change. From early 2019 she spent many days outside the Parliament building holding a placard addressed to the Prime Minister and members of Parliament. She set out three demands: a law to control carbon emissions, compulsory climate education in every school, and tree planting by students. She left regular school for a time to continue the protest.
She spoke at the COP25 conference in Madrid in December 2019, at eight years old, telling delegates that they were debating while children’s futures were at stake. She has since attended later climate summits and events in several countries, and has campaigned for cleaner air in Delhi and against plastic litter at the Taj Mahal.
In March 2020 the government invited her to be one of the women featured in a social media campaign on International Women’s Day. She declined publicly, writing that she did not wish to be celebrated if her voice was not going to be heard.
On 11 December 2023, during a session of the COP28 conference in Dubai, she walked onto the stage carrying a sign reading “End fossil fuels. Save our planet and our future”. She was escorted out to applause from some delegates, and her accreditation was withdrawn. Video of the protest was shared around the world.
Views and Controversy
She dislikes being called “the Greta of India”, saying she began her own movement and has her own story. Her prominence at so young an age has also drawn scrutiny. In 2021 her father, who managed her public activities, was arrested in a case of alleged fraud connected with an organisation he ran, and some news reports questioned awards and titles that had been attributed to her. She and her family have rejected criticism of her activism.
Recognition
She has been included in lists of young people to watch by international media and has received several awards for children’s and environmental activism. She continues her studies alongside her campaigns.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Licypriya Kangujam born?
Licypriya Kangujam was born on 2 October 2011 in Bashikhong, Manipur, India and is 15 years old.
What is Licypriya Kangujam known for?
Known for: Child Movement; protests at COP25 and COP28.
Featured image: Licypriya Kangujam at the United Nations Asia-Pacific Climate Week in Bangkok, September 2019. Photo by Dilanlekamge, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
