"Not just a girl from India...": Meet Vinisha Umashankar, Indian teen who gave powerful speech at COP26

Vinisha Umashankar is a finalist of Prince William’s Earthshot Prize. (Image credit: Photo tweeted by @EarthshotPrize)

A schoolgirl from Tamil Nadu on Tuesday addressed world leaders at the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow. Vinisha Umashankar, 14, is a finalist of Prince William’s Earthshot Prize, dubbed the Eco Oscars.
In her powerful speech, she urged world leaders to "stop talking and start doing”. The student asked leaders to stand with her generation and back the innovations, solutions and projects working to repair the planet.

“I’m not just a girl from India. I’m a girl from Earth and I’m proud to be so. I’m also a student, innovator, environmentalist and entrepreneur but most importantly, I’m an optimist,” she said emphatically in her speech that lasted less than five minutes. She received a rousing applause from the audience as well as Prince William, who stood on stage, proudly watching her speak.

Prince William posted a message of appreciation for Umashankar, saying how proud he was to see her speak on the global platform.

“Feeling optimistic as I head home from #COP26 having met our @EarthshotPrize. Winners & Finalists and discussed their solutions to repair our planet. Especially proud to see Vinisha speaking in front of the world, demanding change so that her generation can have a better future,” he wrote from the official social media accounts that represents him and wife Kate Middleton.

Feeling optimistic as I head home from #COP26 having met our @EarthshotPrize Winners & Finalists and discussed their solutions to repair our planet. Especially proud to see Vinisha speaking in front of the world, demanding change so that her generation can have a better future. W pic.twitter.com/bMeOj9pzLV

— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) November 2, 2021

The teenage innovator and activist had designed a solar-powered ironing cart with the potential to improve air quality across India.

The Earthshot Prize, launched in October last year, was inspired by US president John F. Kennedy's "Moonshot" project in the 1960s to put a man on the moon.

Umashankar, who has followed Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg’s work, was quoted as saying by Sky News: “"She is an activist, I am an innovator and there is more than enough room for both".