Q: With a tailored platform, what did you think of the impact you made.

A: The Climate Witnesses made most people sit up, interact and applaud. I spoke about the futility of holding such conferences rather than working on an action plan. We got our messages across with honesty and emotion. Airline magnate Richard Branson congratulated us. I was delighted to hear people quoting me in other sessions and felt that I had contributed in a small way.

Q: Who did the audience comprise?

A: Mainly, diplomats, academicians, scientists, institutions like the United Nations, Red Cross, World Bank, UNDP, UNHCR, Unesco, IMF and World Economic Forum and corporates like Virgin, HSBC, Coca Cola, IBM, SonyEriksson, Goldman Sachs etc. Our session had nearly 300 such people.There was also wide media presence.

Q: What did Kofi Annan – the man behind the conference – sayabout your presentation?

A: He said we were brilliant and made it very clear that it’s the youth that needs to be involved in this cause. His wife told us about NGOs that toliaise with.

Q: What did people think of the Sunderban issue that you presented?

A: Many did not know where it was but once they heard me out, there was uproar about the plight of the people there. My “Adopt a Sundari Tree” campaign found instant donors. I collected nearly $200 and now need a good business model to sustain it. Branson was willing to write me a cheque on the spot. He reminded me to keep in touch. HSBC and Dame Barbara Stocking of Oxfam also wanted to contribute. The President of the Maldives invited us to visit his country in October to witness the effect of climate change there.

Q: What about the other Climate Witnesses?

A: I think their concerns are really grave and obviously, life-threatening. For example, the boy from Marshall Islands lives totally on canned food. His home is just a narrow strip of land which might go under the sea any moment. Jesse Mike, 22, is from Nunavut Canada which is in the Arctic close to Baffin Islands. She spoke about how she lost friends and family because of perma frost melting.

Q: What else did you do in Geneva?

A: We went to see the UN Headquarters and an exhibition on climate change refugees.We were also taken on a cruise where I met renowned environmental scientist Rajendra Pachauri.

Q: What’s on the agenda for the Climate Witnesses now?

A: We have been asked to plan for the next summit in Copenhagen. I will work on the “Adopt a Sundari Tree” campaign where I intend working with a nursery of that region.