Economic growth and environmental protection are not competing goals but partners, Odisha Governor Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati said on Friday, calling on the young generation to drive a clean, smart and climate-resilient development model.
Speaking at the third Earth Again Conference 2026, organised by the Sambad Group at the Utkal University auditorium on the theme “Gen C – Generation Climate”, the Governor said climate change has moved from distant warning to present reality. Irregular rainfall, rising temperatures and extreme weather are already affecting agriculture, water resources, health and livelihoods across the state.
He urged students and young professionals to become ambassadors of climate-friendly action and to adopt greener habits in everyday life. Combating climate change, he stressed, is not the task of any single institution or section of society. It requires a joint effort by government, educational institutions, industry, media and ordinary citizens.
Industry remains essential for jobs, livelihoods and economic growth, the Governor noted, but it must advance with greater environmental responsibility. He called for wider use of technologies that cut pollution, conserve energy and water, reduce waste and protect natural resources.
Pointing to practical steps already underway, he highlighted the 635-kilowatt solar power plant at Lok Bhavan and the introduction of electric vehicles in the Governor’s convoy. He advised young people to choose electric vehicles and cleaner transport, and asked universities to install solar units on campus, offer free electric-vehicle charging to students and staff for at least one year, and promote the RESCO model for renewable-energy projects.
Dr. Kambhampati also called on every university in Odisha to pursue Green Certification and encouraged year-round tree plantation under the principle that each person plants one tree. He cited Lok Bhavan’s IGBC Green Certification, expanded green cover, safer spaces for birds and animals, and water-harvesting projects as examples worth replicating.
Such measures, he said, strengthen the country’s energy security, reduce dependence on imported crude oil and save foreign exchange. He also referred to government subsidies available for clean-energy adoption.
“The first step to save the Earth must begin at home,” the Governor said.
He praised the Sambad Group for building environmental awareness through print, television, radio and digital platforms, and for initiatives such as Climate Panchayat, Green Campus, Youth Engagement and Environment Assembly.
On the occasion, Sunita Narain, Director General of the Centre for Science and Environment, was felicitated.
Higher Education, Sports and Youth Services Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, Eastern Media Ltd CMD Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, and Utkal University Vice-Chancellor Professor Chandi Prasad Nanda also addressed the gathering.
Tanaya Patnaik, Editor of Sambad and Kanak News, delivered the welcome address.
