NEW DELHI — The fourth Young Earth Heroes (YEH) Community Meetup brought together students, teachers, environmental experts, and business representatives at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi to discuss consumption and environmental responsibility.
Siyona Munjal, Captain of the YEH Community, led the discussions, which featured direct interactions between students from across Delhi NCR and representatives from consumer brands including Hyundai Motor India, Bisleri, and Tetra Pak India. A central segment of the event, titled 'Pooch Ke Toh Dekho', allowed young participants to question corporate representatives directly on topics such as carbon emissions, product life cycles, plastic waste, recycling, and corporate responsibility.
Speaking at the event, Siyona Munjal noted that information alone is insufficient to drive environmental change. She emphasized the importance of questioning the origin, resource consumption, and disposal of purchased goods, framing the dialogue as a way to build honest conversations between companies and young consumers who influence future market choices.
Munjal's involvement in climate initiatives includes her studies at Marlborough College in the UK, participation in Brown University’s Summer School on Climate Change and Solutions, and hands-on work with 'Magic Mitti'. Her work with Magic Mitti supported women waste-pickers in converting organic waste into compost, helping facilitate the sale of nearly 4,000 kg of compost while promoting waste segregation and the circular economy.
Conceived by CauseBecause, Cause Co-founder and Chief Strategist Ranjan Rayna noted that the YEH initiative aims to provide opportunities for young people to participate, question, and take ownership of sustainability discussions.
Since its inception, Young Earth Heroes has engaged over 1,200 students across leading schools through awareness programmes, community initiatives, environmental leadership forums, and carbon-footprint assessments. Under Munjal's leadership, the community has also expanded into climate resilience work, supporting the Government of Delhi’s Heat Action Plan with guidance from the Delhi Science Forum. YEH volunteers distributed more than 150 cotton gamchas and 200 ORS sachets to outdoor and vulnerable workers, including daily wage earners, sanitation workers, rickshaw pullers, and delivery personnel.
The YEH platform continues to align its community efforts with themes including energy and water conservation, waste reduction, responsible consumption, and the Government of India’s Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) movement, encouraging students to examine their personal consumption while engaging constructively with businesses and institutions.
"The engagement between young consumers and corporate brands on sustainability issues highlights a shifting dynamic in the business ecosystem. Platforms that encourage direct, informed questioning push companies to be more transparent about their product life cycles and environmental impact. For businesses, listening to younger demographics is no longer just a corporate social responsibility exercise, but a vital component of future market relevance and responsible growth." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes
