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Scoop
4 days ago
- General
- Scoop
From Himalayan Melt To Drowning Shores, Children Lead The Climate Fight
16 June 2025 For young people living on the frontlines, climate change disrupts education, health and safety, casting a pall of uncertainty over the future. As countries race to meet climate goals, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is stepping in to ensure that children's voices are not just heard, but central to shaping solutions. UN News spoke with the heads of UNICEF in Nepal and the Maldives to explore how the agency is empowering youth, embedding climate resilience in schools and driving child-inclusive climate action. A daily reality In a remote village in western Nepal, 11-year-old Sabu and her friends face danger daily on their way to school. Intensifying and unpredictable rains trigger landslides that wash away roads, and floods that submerge homes and farmland. ' Children live with anxiety and uncertainty. When it rains and there are floods, they have to trek, bridges are overrun, roads are muddy – and this is what they have to walk through day after day.' ' It becomes a huge burden for children to carry, ' says Alice Akunga, UNICEF Representative in Nepal. Thousands of kilometers away, in the low-lying Maldives, the threat takes a different but equally devastating form. Sea surges erode coastlines, flood homes and wash away infrastructure. ' Erosion is a daily reality for children here …young people see their trees falling, homes at risk and they grow up with the constant fear of losing their islands,' explains Edward Addai, UNICEF Representative in the Maldives. ' Climate change is not something far-off – it is part of their lives. ' Kids at the heart of climate action UNICEF's work in both countries is guided by a simple principle: children must be at the heart of climate solutions. This means not only shielding them from impacts but also empowering them to be agents of change. In Nepal, with the support of UN agencies, the government has integrated climate change education into the national curriculum. Classes go beyond theory, with teacher training, green school initiatives and practical actions like rainwater harvesting and waste management. 'We are supporting updating school safety frameworks…making them more resilient and absorb climate shocks such as heavy rains or floods,' Ms. Akunga said. At the recently concluded Sagarmatha Sambaad – the Everest climate talks – UNICEF supported a national youth-led dialogue that brought together over 100 children and young people from across Nepal to engage with policymakers and submit a Children and Youth Declaration to the Prime Minister. Youth leadership beyond classrooms In the Maldives, the agency's approach emphasises community engagement alongside education. UNICEF has helped establish environmental clubs in schools, providing safe spaces for children to learn, discuss and act on climate issues. It is also working with the health system to introduce solar energy to hospitals, supplanting fossil fuels. 'These clubs are critical for nurturing leadership and connecting school activities to community projects,' Mr. Addai added. Young people are also at the centre of the Government's climate plans, engaging in direct dialogue with policymakers and strengthening intergenerational accountability. One such initiative is the Youth Track to COP, a platform co-led by UNICEF and government partners to prepare young people to meaningfully engage in national and global climate discussions. Safeguarding the next generation UNICEF is also supporting efforts to integrate child-sensitive policies into the countries' Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – the climate pledges under the Paris Agreement. Nepal's pledges include commitments to green schools and climate-resilient educational infrastructure. Children were actively involved in the consultations for Nepal's latest NDC, sharing firsthand stories of how climate impacts their daily lives. The Maldives' emphasises youth engagement, clean water access and strengthened health systems in climate-vulnerable areas. Young people are also shaping policy through national mock COPs and direct participation in global climate forums. This ensures that resilience efforts will extend beyond infrastructure to cover children's health, education and mental wellbeing. Getting it right, for everyone The UNICEF officials emphasised what a truly child-inclusive climate plan requires. ' It recognises how climate change impacts every aspect of a child's life – from their lungs to their learning to their access to clean water,' Ms. Akunga said. 'It ensures children can keep receiving health services, continue learning and adapt without anxiety or uncertainty. It's about securing their survival, growth, and development no matter what climate shocks come.' Mr. Edward added: ' If we get it right for children, we get it right for society.' 'Children are the future caretakers of their land and communities. A climate plan that ignores children's realities will fail everyone. But when children are healthy, educated, and included, society thrives,' Children leading the way Ms. Akunga recalled meeting Sabu, the 11-year-old girl, on a field visit. 'I met this child. I went to her village and met her parents… she has taken it upon herself and mobilised other young girls to learn about medicinal plants – how to nurture them and protect them from extreme weather conditions.' She spoke of how Sabu is transferring knowledge from elders to peers – bridging generations – and impressing her community with her passion. Despite the daunting challenges, children like Sabu are stepping up. They are organizing themselves, advocating for change and proposing solutions. 'Their voices matter… children are not just affected by climate change — they are essential partners in responding to it,' Ms. Akunga affirmed.
The Print
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Print
How politics spilled over into business as Kitex vs LDF govt in Kerala enters 2nd round
Cut to now, Kerala is at the top of the Ease of Doing Business rankings, and hosted a major investors' summit earlier this year. Against this backdrop, a high-profile visit by Andhra Pradesh Minister for Handlooms and Textiles S. Savitha to Kitex's Kochi headquarters has reignited the long-running debate over the firm's expansion outside Kerala. Jacob said at the time that Kitex had been 'forced to move out of the state'. Thiruvananthapuram: In 2021, as Kerala government was championing its ambition to turn the southern state into a top investment hub, one of the state's largest employers accused the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) of driving businesses away. Kitex Garments' managing director Sabu M. Jacob alleged the state was 'hounding' enterprises through relentless factory inspections. Kerala would soon become a 'graveyard of industries,' he declared and announced plans to shift Rs 3,500 crore worth of investments to Telangana. Talking to ThePrint, Sabu said talks with the Andhra Pradesh government are in the initial phase, and that he would take a call on any fresh investment in the state after meeting CM Chandrababu Naidu. His remarks came a day after Kerala Industries Minister P. Rajeev said Sabu's remarks should be seen in a political light, since he is a businessman-turned-politician. Those talking about ease of doing business in Kerala will have to answer to the state's youth at a time when many firms are coming to invest in Kerala, the minister told the media Sunday. Sabu is also the chief of the corporate-backed Twenty 20 party, which is in power in four local bodies in the state's Ernakulam district. While he denied any personal friction with the Kerala government, Sabu did express frustration at what he saw as political posturing by the state leadership. 'By birth, they have only seen to ruin others' hard work. Can a businessman not be a politician? I haven't talked about politics or my party regarding this. The party will go in that line.' His renewed criticism of the state also comes amid the ruling LDF's aggressive promotion of Kerala as an investment destination ahead of Assembly polls next year. The state organised a two-day Invest Kerala Global Summit in Kochi this February, which drew Expressions of Interest (EoIs) worth Rs 1.52 lakh crore from 374 companies. The government also conducted over 40 sector-specific conclaves in the run-up to the summit. Kerala-based political analyst Joseph C. Mathew told ThePrint, 'If Sabu hadn't started the political party, he would not have been in this situation. However, now both the parties also act like they don't need each other.' Also Read: Tharoor-Congress feud sparks buzz in his Thiruvananthapuram constituency, unease in party unit Kitex's plans & Twenty 20 party Founded by M.C. Jacob in 1968 in Ernakulam district's Kizhakkambalam, Anna-Kitex Group, popularly known as Kitex, primarily manufactures garments and aluminium products. According to one report by Economic Times Markets, Kitex saw a steady increase in its revenue in the last three years, with total revenue in FY 2025 being Rs 1,001.35 crore, up from Rs 631.17 crore the previous financial year. In FY 2025, the company with a market cap of Rs 5,608.94 crore booked a profit after tax of Rs 138.73 crore—marking a growth of 146.28 percent compared to the previous fiscal year. Kitex is also one of the largest private-sector employers in Kerala, led by a Malayalee, alongside the Muthoot Group (more than 40,000 employees) and Malabar Group (25,000 employees). Other large employers include US-based tech giant UST Global, which has its India headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, the company's largest development centre, and together with its Kochi campus, employs over 10,000 people in Kerala. While Kitex is indeed expanding in Telangana, its headquarters remains in Kochi, and it continues operations in Kerala. Sabu said the firm plans to set up two units in Telangana, one in Warangal and the other in Hyderabad. The Warangal unit began operations in April, and the Hyderabad unit is expected to open in December 2026. 'By September–December, we expect to have about 12,000–14,000 employees in Warangal. In total, these two units will employ around 50,000 people,' he said. In Kerala, Sabu claimed the firm employs about 16,000 workers, of which the majority consists of interstate migrants. An official from Kerala's Directorate Of Industries & Commerce told ThePrint on condition of anonymity that despite making allegations, the firm still continues to operate in the state. 'They have been saying that they would leave. But they are still here, aren't they?' Founded in 1992, Kitex Group launched its CSR wing Twenty 20 in 2013 with the aim of transforming Kizhakkambalam—a village on the outskirts of Kochi where the company is headquartered—into a model village. It later transformed itself into a political party and contested the 2015 Kerala local body polls, winning control of Kizhakkambalam panchayat. It then expanded to four local bodies in Ernakulam district in the 2020 local body polls. Though the party doesn't propagate a particular political ideology, it engages with the public through welfare initiatives such as subsidised supermarkets, improved water and electricity supply, among others. In the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections, Twenty 20 contested eight constituencies in Ernakulam district, though unsuccessfully. Its candidate in Kunnathunad garnered a little more than 42,000 votes, finishing third behind the CPI(M)'s winning candidate P.V. Sreenijin and Congress's V.P. Sajendran. What Kerala minister said During his interaction with the media Sunday, minister Rajeev had said many entrepreneurs, including Bharat Biotech's Krishna Ella, have openly praised Kerala as an investor-friendly state. He added that the government is making dedicated efforts to create opportunities that will encourage the youth to remain and thrive in Kerala. 'You should consider that the businessman is also the president of a political party. If you want to understand the opinion of businessmen, you should speak to businessmen. Since he is also a politician, he naturally has political interests too,' he said, referring to Sabu. He also highlighted that Kerala's Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows more than doubled over the past year, an achievement he argued would not be possible if the state were not seen as investor-friendly. According to data from DPIIT, Kerala's FDI surged to Rs 3,300 crore in the previous fiscal year, up from Rs 1,633.42 crore the year before. The state ranked ninth in FDI inflows nationally, with Maharashtra retaining the top spot with Rs 12,000 crore. (Edited by Amrtansh Arora) Also Read: Nilambur bypoll: How Anvar, once Kerala's richest MLA, is adding twist to crucial LDF-UDF contest
New Indian Express
09-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Kitex managing director alleges harassment by Kerala LDF government, shifts investment to Telangana
KOCHI: Kitex Group managing director Sabu Jacob has alleged that continued harassment by the LDF government forced him to skip Kerala and invest in another state. Addressing the media on Sunday, Sabu claimed his company faced multiple raids and received no support from the LDF government or the industries minister. 'My company was raided multiple times in a month. They couldn't find any violation of rules. The Left government and the minister did not support the business. Everyone knows the reason why I had to shift my Rs 3,500-crore business from Kerala to another state (Telangana),' Sabu said.
New Indian Express
07-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Andhra Pradesh to woo Kitex Garments for investment after Telangana
KOCHI: Four years after diverting a mega investment plan from Kerala to Telangana, Kitex Garments is set to receive an invitation from another state. The Andhra Pradesh government has deputed a minister to visit Kitex managing director Sabu Jacob, in an attempt to woo him to invest in the state. Andhra Pradesh Textiles Minister S Savitha will arrive in Kochi on Saturday to visit the headquarters of Kitex Garments – the second largest producer of children's garments in the world – in Kizhakkambalam. According to reports, the minister will hand over an invitation from Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to Sabu, inviting him to Amaravati for a personal meeting. 'Currently, we don't have any plan for industrial investment in Andhra Pradesh. But it seems the chief minister is very keen to attract investment to Andhra Pradesh. Let's see what message the minister brings,' said Sabu. Kitex Garments had presented a Rs 3,500-crore investment proposal at the Ascend Global Investment Meet organised by the Kerala government in 2020. However, Sabu withdrew from the project following alleged harassment by the state government.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Yahoo
K-9 in Clayton County serves safer with donated protective vest
A hard-working K-9 is serving the community safer with a donation. Clayton County police said K-9 Niko got a bullet- and stab-protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from nonprofit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] His vest was embroidered with the message 'In memory of Sabu.' K-9 Niko has assisted with a little more than 100 arrests in the four to five years he's served Clayton County PD. Before coming to Clayton County, Niko served at a sheriff's department in Florida. Vested Interest in K9s, a nonprofit, has given more than 6,074 vests to K-9s in all 50 states at a value of $6.9 million. These donations are made possible by private and corporate donations. The nonprofit says the program is open to U.S. dogs that are at least 20 months old and working and certified with law enforcement or related agencies. For more information on the program, visit their website. TRENDING STORIES: Nearly 2 dozen arrested for stealing thousands from Mall of Georgia Family grieves loss of 30-year-old father shot to death in his truck on busy DeKalb road College soccer player from Atlanta, son of former CFL star, found dead in his dorm room [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
