TEDx Gateway Collaborates with Maharashtra Government

TEDxGateway, an independently organized TED event and the Maharashtra government have today announced TEDx Gateway Countdown 2021, a global initiative to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis and turning ideas into action. Scheduled on October 31, 2021, from 4 p.m. IST, this first of its kind virtual event bring together an array of speakers encompassing climate crusaders, clean energy experts, innovators, researchers and scientists, humanitarians, entrepreneurs, investors, artists, among others to share their thought-provoking, inspiring, and evidence-based ideas.

Speaker Details — TEDxGateway Countdown 2021 — 1. Aaditya Uddhav Thackeray | Minister of Tourism, Environment and Protocol, Government of Maharashtra 2. Amitabh Bachchan, Actor 3. Dia Mirza, Actor and Climate Crusader 4. Rajiv Kumar | Economist & Vice-Chairman, Niti Aayog 5. Sumant Sinha | Founder, Chairman & CEO Renew Power 6. Ido Sella | Co-Founder, Econcrete 7. Parag Khanna | Global Strategist 8. Satya Tripathi | Secretary-General, Global Alliance For A Sustainable Planet 9. Shivkumar Suryanarayan | Researcher & Innovator 10. Vidyut Mohan |Innovator 11. Narayan Vasudevan | Indian Administrator 12. Karen Scrivener | Material Chemist 13. Sibarani Sofian |Urban Architect 14. Manu Gupta | Disaster Management Expert 15. Anshuman Bapna | Climate School Founder 16. Jennifer Holmgren | Clean Energy Expert 17. Stefano Funari | Upcycling Entrepreneur 18. Isha Datar | Cellular Agriculture Expert 19. R.A. Mashelkar | Scientist 20. Shneel Malik | Bioarchitect

In the run-up to COP-26, the TEDx Gateway Countdown 2021 will play a major role in setting the discourse for India’s Climate Change story. This will be the largest ideation platform from the Global South. A global initiative by TED, TEDx Gateway Countdown aims to build a better future by cutting greenhouse gas emissions to half by 2030 in a race to a zero-carbon world — a world that is safer, cleaner and fairer for everyone. The TEDx Gateway Countdown event in India is an extension of the global event bringing international speakers from across the world like Nobel Laureate Al Gore, UN’s High-Level Climate Action Champion Nigel Topping, Electrification advocate Monica Araya and Animal Scientist Ermias Kebreab among others.

The Countdown 2021 will bring to the fore five fundamental, interconnected tracks which form the blueprint for a cleaner future

• Energy: How rapidly can we switch to 100 per cent clean power?
• Transport: How can we upgrade the way we move people and things?
• Materials: How can we reimagine and re-make stuff?
• Nature: How do we better protect and re-green the earth?
• Food: How can we spark a worldwide shift towards a healthier food system?

Aaditya Thackeray, Tourism Minister, Environment and Protocol, Maharashtra government, will give a special address the TEDx Gateway Countdown 2021 and will talk about the government’s efforts to strengthen conversations and actionable results on climate change in the state and blueprint drawn up to take this towards a cleaner future.

The Environment and Climate Change Department, Maharashtra government, has taken steps that offer significant impact and milestones. These big-ticket initiatives offer crucial steps towards improving the environment and reiterates the government’s commitment to climate change. Some of the measures initiated by the state government towards environmental conservation and protection include — Majhi Vasundhara (My Earth), a holistic initiative to make citizens aware of the impacts of climate change and environmental issues; the Mumbai Climate Change action plan which includes initiatives like the Women for Climate, Cities for Forests Campaign and e-Bus Mission; and the Maharashtra EV 2021 policy.

Commenting on TEDxGateway Countdown 2021, Yashraj Akashi, Senior Ambassador for the TEDx Program in India, said, “Climate change is one of the greatest threats to mankind and it is our collective responsibility to protect and leave a safer, cleaner and greener planet for the generations to come. We are thrilled to have the support of the Maharashtra government for this special edition, which aims to build a better future and find solutions to the challenges of climate change. We invite every organization, company, city and nation and citizens unite with Countdown and take action on climate and play their part.”