Indian-Origin Teen Climate Activist Anjali Sharma Is On A Crusade For Change In Australia

Climate activist Anjali Sharma is taking on a legal battle with the government in Australia over an issue that affects all of us living: climate change. Leading a team of seven young environmentalists, Indian-origin Sharma in May this year put a spotlight on how authorities in charge were tasked with the duty of preventing future harm brought on by climate change. The expansion of a coal mining project in Australia has put the government's responsibility to that end into question.

According to Australian news media website news.com.au, the eight applicants went to court against the proposal of a coal project in Gunnedah, New South Wales, arguing that Environment Minister Sussan Ley "owed the children of Australia a duty of care when it came to potential climate change injuries."

Though the court in its May ruling noted Ley had "a duty to take reasonable care to avoid causing personal injury," it did not pass an order against the expansion of the coal project. The 'Sharma decision,' as the judgment is popularly known in Australia, was hailed as a big win for the teen activists and they were praised for their keen pursuit of change.

Ley, however, chose to give a nod to the coal project last month. Challenging the court's significant observations from earlier this year, the Australian government argued Monday that the "duty of care" as mentioned in the ruling could not be justified under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC Act) and as far as Ley's role went.

How Climate Activist Anjali Sharma Began Fighting For The Environment

The 17-year-old was born in India and migrated to Australia with her parents as a toddler. Her inclination towards seeking change in environmental efforts, she says, came after the havoc-wreaking floods in South Asia in 2017.

"I saw my family in India deal with the effects of climate change and severe floods. It really made me angry that Australia, as a country, was not doing the things it should be doing to mitigate the harmful effects of climate change," she told SBS. 

Her passions have led to Sharma being nominated last month for the prestigious Children’s Climate Prize out of global participants. She is one of five young activists competing for the award, the ceremony for which is scheduled for next month.

"Anjali is a major pioneer and her legal wrangling is historic in Australia. She is an inspiration for how young people can press for tangible changes and is therefore a role model for others," the CCP jury noted.

Sharma, who is still in school, says her parents are proud of the work she is doing and that she hopes to study environmental laws.

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