Ridhima Pandey

Pandley’s home of Uttarakhand has been affected by severe weather over the past ten years. In 2013, over 1000 people died in floods and landslides. Almost 100, 000 people had to be evacuated from the region.

“My Government has failed to take steps to regulate and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which are causing extreme climate conditions. This will impact both me and future generations. My country has huge potential to reduce the use of fossil fuels, and because of the Government’s inaction I approached the National Green Tribunal.”

On 23 September 2019 Pandey filed with 15 other children, including Greta Thunberg, Ayakha Melithafa and Alexandria Villaseñor, a complaint to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, accusing Argentina, Brazil, Germany, France and Turkey to violate the Convention on the Rights of the Child by failing to address the climate crisis adequately.

The NGT dismissed her petition, stating that it was ‘covered under the environment pact assessment’.

At age nine, Pandley filed a suit against the Indian Government on the basis that they had not taken the significant steps against climate change that they had agreed to in the Paris Agreement. This courtcase was presented in the National Green Tribunal (NGT), a court which was established in 2010 that deals solely with environmental cases. Pandley also asked the Government to prepare a plan to reduce carbon emissions and a nationwide plan to curb the impact of climate change, including reducing India’s use of fossil fuels.

Ridhima Pandey (born 2009) is an activist from India who campaigns for action against climate change. She has been likened to Greta Thunberg.