Meet Vinisha Umashankar: Teen Innovator's Rousing COP26 Speech Gets Standing Ovation

Who is Vinisha Umashankar: A teen girl from Tamil Nadu stunned global leaders with a powerful call to climate action at the COP26 summit, recently concluded in Glasgow, Scotland. Vinisha Umashankar, 14, indicated it was high time that with regard to preserving the planet and its resources, "we stop talking and start doing."

There on an invitation from British royal Prince William, Umashankar is among the finalists of the Earthshot Prize backed by the UK's Royal Foundation. The awards began this year and honour a total of five leaders committed to active work in the interests of conservation and environmental matters.

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

Umashankar invented a solar-powered street ironing cart that got her to the British eco-prize finals. She rose to national fame last year with her creation that is a mobile ironing vehicle using solar panels instead of the traditional charcoal to run a steam iron system.

"The solar panels will produce 250 watts of power per hour. All it takes is five hours of bright sunshine to fully charge the battery, which in turn will power the steam iron box for six hours," New Indian Express quoted her saying.

She was also the recipient of the Swedish Children's Climate Prize in 2020 for her novel innovation.

Know Who Is Vinisha Umashankar And What She Said At COP26

"Many of my generation are angry and frustrated at leaders who've made empty promises and failed to deliver. And we have every reason to be angry. But I've no time for anger. I want to act," Umashankar, who hails from Tiruvannamalai, said at COP26 before an audience comprising country heads, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

She is not just a girl from India, she said, but "a girl from Earth" and an optimist for climate change.

She appealed to the leaders present to invest in the youth's efforts for environmental solutions and "stop thinking about old debates because we need a new vision for a new future." Umashankar's speech was impactful enough to evoke a standing ovation from the roomful of adults.

Image: Sky News

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