(March 26, 2022) It was his grandmother, MP Saroj Dubey, who taught him as a young boy that the greatest happiness is found when you bring happiness to others. Today, an 18-year-old Aditya Dubey is campaigning against single-use plastic by working with India’s National Green Tribunal to introduce environmental compensation from some of the largest organisations in India, including Amazon, Walmart-Flipkart, and Pepsi. The teen changemaker, who started the Plant A Million Trees campaign in 2016, received the prestigious Diana Award in 2021 for his efforts.
“I live in New Delhi, one of the most polluted cities in the world. A few years ago, I was diagnosed with sinusitis, a respiratory infection caused by air pollution. When I started researching about it, I realised that if pollution levels don’t reduce soon, many could die or be severely ill,” shares Aditya in an interview with Global Indian. “While people knew about the issue, not many were raising their voice against it. I did not want to sit quietly, thus I founded the Plant A Million Trees initiative in 2016,” he adds. Since, over 1,80,000 trees have been planted under the campaign.
Aditya Dubey receiving the Diana Award
Rebel with a cause
As the movement gained momentum, Aditya decided to soldier on. In his quest to ban single-use plastic, the teen changemaker launched several campaigns including Kill Plastic and Revive Yamuna in 2019. To ensure smooth running, he even sold some of his belongings to fund them. “I did not want to ask for money, so I sold my golf kit to fund the Plant A Million Trees initiative. Later for another campaign, I sold my PlayStation as well,” smiles Aditya, who schooled at Modern School, Barakhamba Road.
For the Kill Plastic campaign, Aditya approached Amazon and Walmart-Flipkart to stop using single-use plastic packaging material. However, when the companies refused to accept his request, he filed a petition before the National Green Tribunal against them. “I was young so a bit nervous. But, I was never scared to do the right thing. I think I got that from my grandmother. She taught me that one should never be afraid to raise their voice. Unfortunately, I lost her a few years ago. But. her teachings will always guide me,” says the teen changemaker.
Aditya during a campaign
A big win for the teen changemaker was when his petition forced the giants to stop using single-use plastic, reducing plastic waste generation in India by thousands of tonnes each year. Another campaign by him against Pet bottling companies, resulted in heavy fines, running into millions of dollars, being imposed on Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Himalaya, Parle Agro, and Bisleri.
Beyond the rewards
Ever since he began working to save the environment, Aditya has received several awards and recognitions. While he is happy that his work is truly making an impact, the son of two accomplished Supreme Court lawyers – Anurag and Anu Dubey – feels that such recognitions help spread awareness. “I feel that if we continue to turn a blind eye to climate change, then we all will suffer due to extreme weather conditions and a lack of clean water or air. For me, the propagation of this idea is more important than the awards. Recognition is a tool that enables me to convince citizens, organisations, corporates, and political leaders to support me in my campaigns,” says the teen changemaker who unwinds on Formula 1 when he gets time.
No time to waste
Upset that the governments are not taking adequate measures to eradicate pollution, Aditya is doing everything in his power to initiate change. The youngster, in collaboration with the Energy and Resources Institute, is working on a direct air capture technology that absorbs carbon dioxide from ambient air. If scaled up, it can be an important weapon in humanity’s fight against climate change. “I have been working on this technology called CarbonX since October 2021. We have been able to finalise the design, and are now in the process of creating a user prototype and commencing trials,” shares Aditya, whose only dream right now is to set up a million-tonne carbon dioxide extraction plant in India by the end of this year. Set to study BS in computer science in 2022, he hopes to leave behind an able team to continue his good work.
