PRESS RELEASE
CLIMATE ACTION MONTH 2025 - INAUGURAL EVENT
Date and Venue: 1st July, 2025, A.M.Jain College
GUEST SPEAKERS
Dr. S. Sankar, Professor & Head of the Department,
Environmental Health Engineering at Sri Ramachandra Institute of
Higher Education and Research
Ms. Ganga Dileep C, CEO, Clean Tamil Nadu Company, Thooimai Mission, Govt of Tamil Nadu
Mr. Omjasvin M.D., Principal Correspondent at The Times Of India
Chennai
For immediate release
Climate Action Month, 2025 (CAM) – a month-long campaign of climate-focused events across Chennai was inaugurated today at A.M. Jain College. Organised by Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG), CAM is envisioned as a platform to bring together communities, policymakers, activists, youth, and the public to build meaningful dialogue, foster collaboration, and drive collective action to address the climate crisis.
With climate change intensifying with each passing season, the consequences are no longer distant forecasts—they are lived realities. As explained by Dr. S. Sankar in his inaugural address ‘Now that nature has started teaching us lessons, it is no longer about money or power but the attitude and willingness to work towards climate action’. Climate change is inevitable, he said, and ‘climate inaction is disastrous’. This echoes findings from the UN IPCC’s 2022 report, which warned that India faces the risk of multiple, simultaneous climate-related disasters within the next two decades if aggressive mitigation strategies are not implemented.
Tamil Nadu’s greenhouse gas emissions stem from multiple sectors, including power generation, transportation, single-use plastics and solid waste management. Mr. Omjasvin M.D., touching upon the topic of waste management and segregation, explained how around 6000 tons of waste go into landfills in Chennai. Biodegradable waste, when it breaks down in the presence of non-biodegradable waste such as plastics, is one of the biggest (and easily addressed) sources of methane emissions. He urged that just segregating our waste at home can go a long way towards climate action, adding that ‘It's not just the government's role but also the public's responsibility to keep our environment safe and plastic-free’.
Ms. Ganga Dileep C, also continued on the theme of waste management, especially emphasising the need for a ‘just transition’ where addressing the rights of conservancy workers is seen as equal to ‘sustainable waste management solutions’. She also described waste as a ‘psychological subject’, and therefore one where psychologists and sociologists should be involved in policy making.
As explained poignantly by Dr. Shankar, ‘Even viruses and pathogens are adapting to a changing climate. Why not humans?’ CAM 2025 aims to harness the power of everyday individuals in driving climate action and seeks to nurture a network of informed citizens ready to champion systemic change. Afroz, researcher at CAG in the Solid Waste Management team explained how over the years of successive CAMs, the event has sensitised as many as 40,000 individuals, served as a platform for over 100 zero-waste businesses, aiding the government of Tamil Nadu in its climate action mission. The event this year, through over 20 carefully curated events, is anticipated to reach another 10,000 Chennai-ites with the message of climate action.
The event will continue throughout July, featuring performances, workshops, community actions, and expert dialogues designed to inform and inspire.
Press contact: Vamsi Shankar Kapilavai, Mobile: +91 9493892929,
Email ID: vamsishankar.kapilavai@cag.org.in
About CAG: Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG) is a thirty-nine-year-old non-profit, non-political and professional organisation that works towards protecting citizens' rights in consumer and environmental issues and promoting good governance processes, including transparency, accountability and participatory decision-making.