“Climate action can’t wait until we’re adults, we want to be part of the solution now,” said Lakshita, a Class 9 student from Sparkling Mindz Global School as she stepped out of the Town Hall, where the first-ever Makkala Climate Action Sabhe 2025 (Children’s Climate Action Meet) was held on Friday.

“Today’s event made us feel like our ideas really matter,” said Kiran Kumar, one of the winners and a Class 12 student from Swami Vivekananda PU College, describing the atmosphere as “one of the best debate experiences” he has attended.

Month-long engagement ends in citywide debate

Organised by the Greater Bengaluru Authority’s (GBA) Climate Action Cell, the Sabhe marked the culmination of a month-long engagement with Bengaluru’s Climate Action Clubs.

Over 85 educational institutions participated in the expert sessions and guided school activities on water, waste, greening and energy. From these, 20 institutions across all five municipal zones qualified for the city-level Oxford-style debate, where the audience acted as the jury.

The enthusiasm among students was visible from the first round. “I had never seen a debate on climate action at a citywide scale before. Hearing students from all over Bengaluru helped us understand how serious the situation is,” shared Yugandara Yavana Prakash, a Class 6 student from Lawrence High school.

She said the Sabhe gave students a chance to meet people from different schools, learn new perspectives and understand what the rest of the city’s children care about.

Official inauguration and vision for expansion

The event was inaugurated by GBA Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao and Special Commissioner Preeti Gehlot.

Rao emphasised the urgency of a youth-led climate leadership. With nearly 70% of India’s future population expected to live in cities, he said, the challenge is ensuring sustainable growth.

“Discussions led by our children are key to finding those answers,” he said. He also announced a plan to expand Bengaluru’s 777 Climate Action Clubs to 6,000, targeting to have one in every school.

Throughout the final debate, students spoke passionately about waste segregation, water scarcity, biodiversity and energy use, often matching the clarity of seasoned speakers.