2016, Kehkashan Basu (16), UAE

At just 11 years old, Kehkashan was invited to address the TUNZA Children and Youth Conference in Indonesia. The following year she became the youngest delegate to address a press conference at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), speaking passionately about the contribution children can make to a sustainable future.

At 12 years old, Kehkashan founded her own organization, Green Hope, to work for a sustainable future and climate justice. Green Hope runs a host of activities for children and young people, including waste recycling, beach and mangrove cleanups, tree planting and awareness campaigns. Its environmental academies and conferences have reached over 3,000 school and university students to date. Green Hope has grown into a truly international organization with over 1,000 young people engaged in its activities.

Kehkashan uses every means at her disposal to teach children about the need to protect the environment and to empower them to take action. Alongside her practical activities and international advocacy, she has also written a book called “The Tree of Hope”, in which a young girl turns a desert landscape into an oasis by planting trees and persuading her friends to join in.

Green Hope has, to date, planted over 5,000 trees worldwide. Alongside tree planting, Kehkashan encourages children and adults to make a personal pledge to the tree of hope. What will you do to create a more sustainable future? “Take that extra step,” she says, “walk that extra mile to get the future we want.”